GoJet Airlines

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GoJet Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
G7 GJS LINDBERGH
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
AOC #N6WA249L[1]
Hubs
Frequent-flyer programMileage Plus
AllianceStar Alliance (affiliate)
Fleet size67 (7 awaiting conversion)
Destinations80+
Parent companyTrans States Holdings
HeadquartersBridgeton, Missouri, United States
Key people
Employees1,670
Websitewww.gojetairlines.com

GoJet Airlines LLC is a regional airline headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri, United States. Wholly owned by Trans States Holdings, it has 1,670 employees.[2][3] It operates commuter feeder services under the United Express brand of United Airlines. United Express flights are currently operated out of United's hubs at Chicago–O'Hare, Newark and Washington-Dulles. GoJet's Delta Connection branded flights came to an end on March 31, 2020. Most of the flying at the end of the agreement was out of Detroit and Minneapolis–St. Paul as well as Raleigh-Durham.[2] GoJet Airlines' system operations center (SOC), training center and corporate offices are co-located in the former Trans World Airlines and Ozark Airlines training center in Bridgeton, Missouri. The airline uses the former McDonnell Douglas factory hangar at Saint Louis Lambert International Airport as its primary maintenance facility, with maintenance staff available at all of the airline's destinations. Its call sign, "Lindbergh", is named for aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, who flew the Spirit of St. Louis solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927: the first person to do so.

History[edit]

GoJet Airlines CRJ-700 in previous United Express livery

The airline was established in late 2004 by Trans States Holdings. The airline would fly United Express-branded flights out of United Airlines' Chicago O’Hare hub to replace departing United Express carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines. GoJet took delivery of its first Bombardier CRJ-700 in June, 2005.

The airline received its initial Air Carrier Operating Certificate in September 2005 and began scheduled passenger services on October 4, 2005, with a United Express flight from Cincinnati, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois. By the end of 2009, GoJet took delivery of its 25th CRJ-700 aircraft.[4]

In October, 2011, Delta Air Lines announced that it was planning a January, 2012 launch of new GoJet CRJ-700 service as a Delta Connection regional carrier. Delta would initially transfer 15 of the CRJ-700 aircraft previously assigned to its Comair division to GoJet, as well as 12 owned or leased CRJ700s contracted to SkyWest Airlines, to begin the service.[5] On January 22, 2012, GoJet began service as a Delta Connection carrier with its inaugural flight from St. Louis, Missouri to Detroit, Michigan.[6][non-primary source needed] In late 2013, GoJet agreed to increase its flying agreement for Delta by leasing several CRJ-900 aircraft for its Delta Connection service through 2023. GoJet began this CRJ-900 service in late 2014.

GoJet Airlines CRJ-550 in United Express livery

In August, 2019, Delta announced that it would be terminating operating agreements with two of its Delta Connection-branded carriers: GoJet Airlines and Compass Airlines. The CRJ-700 aircraft operated by GoJet for Delta Air Lines will be transferred to Endeavor Air or sold to other operators. The CRJ-900 aircraft that were leased by GoJet for the Delta Connection brand were also eventually re-leased by other Delta Connection carriers. As part of the announcement, all GoJet operated flights on behalf of Delta Air Lines were phased out by mid-2020.[7] After the COVID-19 pandemic nearly reduced travel demand to zero bookings Delta Air Lines and GoJet Airlines agreed to terminate service early and park all remaining Delta Connection aircraft on March 31, 2020.

In April, 2020 Trans States Holdings closed GoJet's two sister airlines, Trans States Airlines and Compass Airlines, due to challenging economic issues and an unsustainable business environment related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crew bases[edit]

Pilots and flight attendants as well as maintenance personnel are based at the following locations:

Destinations[edit]

GoJet flies to over 80 destinations within the United States and Canada, operating for United Express. Below are destinations per a 2017 route map.

List of destinations[8] (As of 1 September 2017)
City Country (Subdivision) IATA Airport Notes
Jacksonville United States (Florida) JAX Jacksonville International Airport
Pensacola United States (Florida) PNS Pensacola International Airport
Sarasota/Bradenton United States (Florida) SRQ Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
Atlanta United States (Georgia) ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Chicago United States (Illinois) ORD O'Hare International Airport Hub
Moline United States (Illinois) MLI Quad City International Airport
Indianapolis United States (Indiana) IND Indianapolis International Airport
Cedar Rapids United States (Iowa) CID The Eastern Iowa Airport
Des Moines United States (Iowa) DSM Des Moines International Airport
Wichita United States (Kansas) ICT Wichita Eisenhower National Airport
Louisville United States (Kentucky) SDF Louisville International Airport
New Orleans United States (Louisiana) MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Portland United States (Maine) PWM Portland International Jetport
Nantucket United States (Massachusetts) ACK Nantucket Memorial Airport
Detroit United States (Michigan) DTW Detroit Metropolitan Airport
Grand Rapids United States (Michigan) GRR Gerald R. Ford International Airport
Kalamazoo United States (Michigan) AZO Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport
Saginaw United States (Michigan) MBS MBS International Airport
Traverse City United States (Michigan) TVC Cherry Capital Airport
Minneapolis/St. Paul United States (Minnesota) MSP Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Kansas City United States (Missouri) MCI Kansas City International Airport
Springfield/Branson United States (Missouri) SGF Springfield–Branson National Airport
St. Louis United States (Missouri) STL Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport
Omaha United States (Nebraska) OMA Eppley Airfield
Manchester United States (New Hampshire) MHT Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Newark United States (New Jersey) EWR Newark Liberty International Airport Hub
Albuquerque United States (New Mexico) ABQ Albuquerque International Sunport
Albany United States (New York) ALB Albany International Airport
Buffalo United States (New York) BUF Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Elmira United States (New York) ELM Elmira/Corning Regional Airport
Rochester United States (New York) ROC Greater Rochester International Airport
Greensboro United States (North Carolina) GSO Piedmont Triad International Airport
Cincinnati, Ohio area United States (Kentucky) CVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Airport is in Kentucky
Cleveland United States (Ohio) CLE Hopkins International Airport
Dayton United States (Ohio) DAY Dayton International Airport
Oklahoma City United States (Oklahoma) OKC Will Rogers World Airport
Tulsa United States (Oklahoma) TUL Tulsa International Airport
Bozeman United States (Montana) BZN Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Missoula United States (Montana) MSO Missoula International Airport
Harrisburg United States (Pennsylvania) MDT Harrisburg International Airport
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton United States (Pennsylvania) AVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport
Pittsburgh United States (Pennsylvania) PIT Pittsburgh International Airport
Rapid City United States (South Dakota) RAP Rapid City Regional Airport
Knoxville United States (Tennessee) TYS McGhee Tyson Airport
Nashville United States (Tennessee) BNA Nashville International Airport
Austin United States (Texas) AUS Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Dallas–Fort Worth United States (Texas) DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
El Paso United States (Texas) ELP El Paso International Airport
San Antonio United States (Texas) SAT San Antonio International Airport
Burlington United States (Vermont) BTV Burlington International Airport
Richmond United States (Virginia) RIC Richmond International Airport
Washington, D.C. area United States (Virginia) IAD Washington Dulles International Airport Hub
Madison United States (Wisconsin) MSN Dane County Regional Airport
Casper United States (Wyoming) CPR Casper-Natrona County International Airport
Jackson Hole United States (Wyoming) JAC Jackson Hole Airport
Montréal Canada (Quebec) YUL Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Toronto Canada (Ontario) YYZ Toronto Pearson International Airport

Fleet[edit]

Current fleet[edit]

United Express CRJ700 operated by GoJet Airlines at O'Hare International Airport. It would later be converted into a CRJ550.

As of March 2023, the GoJet Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[9][10]

Aircraft Total Orders Passengers Operated For
F E+ E Total
Bombardier CRJ550 67 7 10 20 20 50 United Express
Total 67 7  

The GoJet fleet of CRJ550's that are flown for United Express are equipped with engines like those on the rest of the Bombardier CRJ700 series: General Electric CF34.[11] All of these aircraft are being converted to CRJ550s (see below). GoJet operated CRJ900 aircraft from 2014 to 2020 that it leased as a former Delta Air Lines commuter partner. At the beginning of April 2020, GoJet stopped flying the CRJ900 when the company completed its service contract with Delta Air Lines.

Fleet development[edit]

On February 6, 2019, United Airlines and Bombardier Aviation announced that GoJet would be the first regional carrier to operate the CRJ550: a 50-seat conversion of the CRJ700.[12] In February 2020 United Airlines ordered 20 more CRJ550 aircraft for the GoJet Fleet, to be delivered through 2021. These aircraft will be transferred from other United Express carriers to GoJet. Once these CRJ700 aircraft are replaced by the 50-seat, converted aircraft (see below), the CRJ550 fleet at GoJet will total 74 aircraft.

CRJ550 Information[edit]

The United Express CRJ550 is a modified Bombardier CRJ700 series aircraft. Bombardier Aviation did not produce the CRJ550 new from the factory. Many CRJ550 aircraft in the GoJet fleet are several years old, the oldest (N503GJ) being close to 20 years old. CRJ550 conversions are done on both the original CRJ700 and the NextGen CRJ700 models. The process of converting the aircraft cabin is a relatively quick process whereby several economy seats of the 700 series are removed and replaced with large storage cabinets, a larger more modern service galley and updated First Class and Economy Plus seating. The four new cabinets installed at floor level allow passengers to stow larger carry-on luggage in the cabin with them that would normally have needed to be checked planeside when on the CRJ700. The new, larger service galley allows passengers with first class seats the option to self-serve snacks and non-alcoholic beverages during the flight, particularly when the aircraft’s single flight attendant is serving the main cabin. The galley features a lighted glass cabinet with several snack options, a refrigerator with chilled non-alcoholic beverages, ice and bottled water drawers as well as a waste receptacle. For the cabin crew, the new galley features a storage area for crew luggage. In the cabin, the aircraft features 10 full-size First Class seats, 20 Economy Plus seats and 20 Economy seats. The whole aircraft receives new wall panels, carpeting, curtains and signage. United is having all the CRJ550 aircraft painted in its new blue and white livery. For pilots, the aircraft is essentially a CRJ700 with limited takeoff and landing weights, in order to meet the United Airlines "scope clause" agreement with its pilots who are represented by the Airline Pilots Association. This agreement limits the CRJ-550 to a maximum takeoff weight of 65,000 pounds: 10,000 pounds less than the CRJ-700. Because of this restriction, the CRJ550 is sometimes unable to take full passenger loads when flying into areas where precautionary fuel is needed, such as areas with poor weather.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  2. ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 87.
  3. ^ "GoJet Airlines Fact Sheet Archived 2011-05-28 at the Wayback Machine." GoJet Airlines. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  4. ^ "A History of GoJet Airlines". gojetairlines.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  5. ^ "Weekly News Roundup: Delta Air Lines". stocksandshares.tv. 2011-10-30. Archived from the original on 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  6. ^ "GoJet Launches First Delta Connection Flight". 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2012-11-13 – via Facebook.
  7. ^ "Delta Ending Partnership with Two of Five Regional Carriers". The Business Journals.
  8. ^ "Where We Fly" (PDF). gojetairlines.com. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  9. ^ "GoJet Airlines Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  10. ^ "United Airlines Quarterly SEC Filing". Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  11. ^ "Bombardier Delivers CRJ-700 To GoJet". aero-news.net. 2005-06-23. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  12. ^ "GoJet to Fly 74 Bombardier CRJ-550 Aircraft for United Airlines". PR Newswire. 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2019-02-08.

External links[edit]