Trans States Airlines

The company began operations as Resort Air in 1982.[4] As an independent commuter air carrier, Resort Air operated Swearingen Metro propjets from a small hub located in St. Louis (STL) with service to Carbondale, Illinois; Columbia, Missouri; Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Joplin, MO; Lake of the Ozarks, MO; Springfield, IL; and Springfield, MO.[5] In 1985, the company entered into an agreement with Trans World Airlines (TWA) to operate as Trans World Express serving six cities in Missouri and Illinois.

Resort Air changed its name to Trans States Airlines in 1989. That same year, TSA began operations on the west coast as USAir Express at Los Angeles (LAX) and by 1995 was serving Fresno, Monterey, Ontario, CA, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara nonstop from LAX with British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 propjets.[6] By 1999, Trans States was operating BAe Jetstream 31 flights from LAX as US Airways Express nonstop to just four destinations in California: Fresno, Palm Springs, San Diego and Santa Barbara.[7]

On the east coast, in 1995, TSA began operations as a code share feeder airline into New York City JFK Airport as United Express.[4] By 1999, Trans States had begun operations as a Delta Connection code share air carrier for Delta Air Lines at New York JFK Airport with Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets and British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 41 propjets with nonstop service to Albany, NY, Baltimore, Greensboro, NC, Hartford/Springfield, Norfolk, VA, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, VA and Rochester, NY.[8]

The call sign "Waterski" and the ICAO 3-letter identifier "LOF," which stands for 'Lodge of the Four Seasons', are from the early days when the company was operated as Resort Air and took visitors to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

In 2015, the airline carried 3.6 million passengers.[9]

In February 2020, the airline announced their intent to gradually cease operations through 2020 and transfer their fleet to ExpressJet Airlines per an agreement with United Airlines. However, on March 17, 2020, CEO Rick Leach sent a memo to employees stating that due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, the airline would cease operations on April 1, 2020, much earlier than originally expected.[10][3] Compass Airlines, another regional airline owned by Trans States Holdings, also announced a cessation of operations effective April 7, 2020, leaving GoJet Airlines as the only operating airline owned by Trans States Holdings.

The final Trans States Airlines flight was United Express Flight 4695 from Springfield, Missouri to Denver, Colorado on April 1, 2020.

Trans States was operating 48-passenger ATR-42 and 19-passenger Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (Metro III model) propjets in Trans World Express code share service for Trans World Airlines at this time from the TWA hub in St. Louis with nonstop flights to the following destinations:[11]

• Burlington, IA
• Chicago, IL (Meigs Field) - one stop service via Springfield, IL
• Columbia, MO
• Des Moines, IA
• Joplin, MO
• Lincoln, NE
• Madison, WI
• Memphis, TN
• Moline, IL
• Peoria, IL
• Sioux City, IA
• Springfield, IL
• Springfield, MO

By 1995, Trans States had expanded its Trans World Express code sharing operations at the TWA St. Louis hub and was operating ATR-42, ATR-72, British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 and BAe Jetstream 41, and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops with nonstop flights to the following destinations:[12]

• Birmingham, AL
• Bloomington, IL
• Burlington, IA
• Cape Girardeau, MO
• Cedar Rapids, IA
• Champaign, IL
• Chicago, IL (Midway Airport)
• Columbia, MO
• Decatur, IL
• Des Moines, IA
• Evansville, IN
• Fayetteville, AR
• Fort Wayne, IN
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Joplin, MO
• Lexington, KY
• Knoxville, TN
• Madison, WI
• Marion, IL
• Memphis, TN
• Milwaukee, WI
• Moline, IL
• Paducah, KY
• Peoria, IL
• Quincy, IL
• Sioux City, IA
• South Bend, IN
• Springfield, IL
• Springfield, MO
• Waterloo, IA

An ERJ 145EP at Washington Dulles International Airport

Prior to its shutdown, the airline operated to the following destinations under the United Express brand:[13]

Prior to its shutdown, the Trans States Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft:

In October 2009, Trans States Holdings announced an agreement to purchase 50 Mitsubishi MRJ90 with options for 50 more.[15] Trans States Holdings held conversion rights to take the smaller, 76-seat MRJ70 instead of the 92-seat MRJ90 dependent on the scope clause environment by the time the airline took delivery.[16] The order was cancelled as of October 2019 due to concerns that the Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 aircraft violates the US Scope clause laws.[17]

In April 2013, Trans States Airlines began taking delivery of six former Passaredo Linhas Aéreas ERJ-145s.[18]

In 2015 Trans States began parking their United Express ERJ-145ER's, in exchange for ERJ-145XR's transferred from ExpressJet Airlines.

Prior to becoming an all-jet airline, Trans States operated several different turboprop aircraft types including:

• ATR 42
• ATR 72
• British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31
• British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 41
• Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia
• Fairchild Swearingen Metro III

These propjet aircraft were operated in code share feeder services for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Trans World Airlines (TWA), USAir and US Airways.[19]

• July 14, 2004
  • Trans States Airlines Flight 3504, operated and marketed as a US Airways Express flight, overran the runway at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and sustained damage to the left inboard tire. There were no serious injuries. Transport Safety Board of Canada Accident Report
• June 16, 2010
  • Trans States Airlines Flight 8050, operated and marketed as a United Express flight, overran the runway at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and sustained damage to the front of the aircraft with a nose gear collapse. Both pilots and one passenger sustained minor injuries.[20]
• March 1, 2011 at 6:45 am EST
  • A US Airways Embraer 145 operated by Trans States Airlines was being pushed back from the gate at Bradley International Airport for a departure to Pittsburgh when the front nose gear collapsed and the front of the plane dropped to the tarmac. None of the 29 passengers were injured.[21]
• September 4, 2011
  • Trans States Airlines Flight 3363 originating from Chicago IL, operated as a United Express flight, left the runway during landing at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. The aircraft, with 44 passengers on board, sustained damage to the main gear and belly, as well as to the right wing. There were no injuries to passengers or crew.[22]
• February 22, 2012
  • Trans States Airlines operating as United Express Flight 3350 originating from Chicago O'Hare, IL to Rochester, NY was on approach to land but overran the end of the runway by about 50–75 feet and came to a stop with all gear off the paved surface. There were no injuries. The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs and were bussed to the terminal.
• August 7, 2018
  • A Trans States Airlines Embraer 145 operating as Flight 4697 from Washington Dulles to Providence, RI was forced to divert to John F. Kennedy International Airport after reports of smoke in the cabin. The aircraft was evacuated on the runway. Three of the 53 passengers received treatment at the scene.

• Trans States Airlines