Ransome Airlines
Ransome Airlines was a regional airline in the United States, headquartered at Northeast Philadelphia Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] Founded in 1967, it operated feeder flights on behalf of different mainline carriers via specific airline brands for most of its existence: as Allegheny Commuter (1970–1982), Delta Connection (1984–1987), Pan Am Express (1987–1991) and finally Trans World Express (1991–1995).[2]
IATA
1967
1995
- Berlin-Tegel
(1987-1991, as Pan Am Express) - New York-JFK
(1987-1995, as Pan Am Express and Trans World Express) - Miami International
(1990-1991, as Pan Am Express) - Pittsburgh International
(1970-1982, as Allegheny Commuter)
J. Dawson Ransome (founder)
History[edit]
Independent company[edit]
The company was founded by J. Dawson Ransome in 1967, with the launch of revenue flights in March of that year.[3] The initial network spanned along the East Coast from Philadelphia to Norfolk, and the fleet was composed of Volpar (Beechcraft) Model 18 11-seat airliners.[4]
In August 1970, Ransome Airlines started one of its first branding partnerships with Allegheny Airlines, which would last until June 1, 1982.[5] During that period, Ransome was branding its flights as Allegheny Commuter, feeding into Allegheny's hub at Pittsburgh International Airport, though the point-to-point network in the north-eastern United States was also kept. This airline co-operation is seen as one of the earliest examples for a codeshare agreement (Henson Airlines had been the first carrier to operate as "Allegheny Commuter" in 1967).[6] Following the Airline Deregulation Act, Allegheny Airlines was renamed USAir in 1979. The Allegheny Commuter name was kept for some years, though, so that Ransome Airlines never operated as USAir Express.
Between 1982 and 1984, Ransome returned to operating its point-to-point route network under its own brand name, which then spanned from Boston to Washington, D.C.[7] In May 1984, Ransome entered into a partnership with Delta Air Lines,[5] allowing its passengers to connect to/from Delta flights at Logan International Airport (Boston), Washington Dulles International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Newark International Airport, among others, marketing these flights as Delta Connection.[8][9]