Trans States agrees to fly RJs as United Express - Air Transport Intelligence news - 10/7/2003

US regional Trans States Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with United Airlines to operate up to 25 50-seat regional jets as a new United Express carrier.
Under a ten-year deal with the Star Alliance carrier, St Louis, Missouri-based Trans States will fly primarily from United?s Washington Dulles and Chicago O?Hare hubs.
United says the regional jets to be flown by Trans States ?will be in service within months?.

However, it is not immediately clear if Trans States plans to operate its own fleet of Embraer ERJ-145s for the service, or place a new order for 50-seaters.
The carrier currently uses its ERJ-145s to supply feeder services for American Airlines and US Airways.
Trans States is the fourth US regional to sign on as a United Express affiliate since United entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and requested cheaper bids from its partners. So far, SkyWest Airlines and Air Wisconsin have each reached revised agreements to fly regional jets for United, while Mesa Air Lines is another new United Express operator.
The only remaining United Express carrier without a new revised contract is Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA), which says it is looking into ?contingency plans? should an agreement not be reached. United has also warned it might end its codeshare
agreement with Great Lakes Aviation if the regional feeder does not accept a trimmed schedule.
The MOUs signed between United and its United Express affiliates are conditional on negotiation of final agreements as well as approval by the US Bankruptcy Court