Regional start-up Shuttle America has begun operating at Bradley Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Three secondhand 50-seat Bombardier Dash 8-300 turboprops leased from the manufacturer are in operation and the fleet will grow to six aircraft by mid-January. Shuttle America holds lease options for 18 more Dash 8-300s.
The airline's strategy is to offer high-frequency direct flights between underserved cities in the eastern USA. Initial city pairs include Windsor Locks-Buffalo, New York, Windsor Locks-Wilmington, Delaware, and Buffalo-Wilmington.
The airline began with $11 million in investments, including $2 million from the Connecticut Development Authority. Private financiers include Harry Gray, former chairman of United Technologies, and Larry Lawrence, an investor in defunct People Express. David Hackett, president and chief executive, is a former financial planner for Continental.
Source: Flight International
