Connect Airlines vows to appeal DOT decision to revoke certificate

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has revoked certificate authority from Waltzing Matilda Aviation, the Massachusetts company that owns start-up regional carrier Connect Airlines. In a 16 November decision, the DOT terminated the certificate of public convenience and necessity issued on 5 July 2022 allowing Connect to engage in interstate air transportation “for reasons of dormancy”. But Connect Airlines has not given up on its plan to launch operations with regional turboprops and eventually retrofit them with hydrogen propulsion systems, chief executive John Thomas tells FlightGlobal on 17 November. ”While the order from the Department of Transportation came without any warning, we note that it does not prevent Connect from securing certificate authority again,” Thomas says. ”Connect’s focus has been on securing FAA certification, and we have fully demonstrated the ability to safely operate an airline while providing additional third-party validation to support our ongoing application.” Originally planned to launch last year, Connect has been struggling for several months to meet Federal Aviation Administration certification requirements as it neared deadlines to launch flights. The carrier’s FAA-issued interstate and foreign operating authorities had required it to start flying passengers by July and September 2023, respectively. The Bedford-based company has been attempting to launch passenger service using De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s, starting with routes from Philadelphia and Chicago to Billy Bishop Toronto City airport. Those operations have not taken off, however, as Connect has requested several extensions on a dormancy waiver – most recently on 4 August, when it requested an extension until 31 December. That request was denied on 16 November as the carrier “did not provide the required information necessary to support a positive financial fitness finding”, the DOT says. <br/>