CommuteAir


CommuteAir is a regional airline of the United States founded in 1989. Today, CommuteAir operates more than 1,600 weekly flights, exclusively on behalf of United Express, serving over 75 U.S. destinations and 3 in Mexico. CommuteAir's fleet of Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft fly from its bases at Washington–Dulles and Houston–Intercontinental. The company was previously called CommutAir until July 26, 2022, when it legally changed its name to the present-day CommuteAir.

History

The airline was established in 1989, with headquarters at Clinton County Airport in Plattsburgh, New York. Operations began on August 1, 1989, as a marketing affiliate of USAir.
The airline changed affiliations to Continental Airlines in late 2000, when US Airways and CommuteAir failed to reach a mutually acceptable extension agreement, and CommuteAir decided not to renew the codeshare agreement. In July 2001, the company announced plans to downsize its fleet and workforce by approximately half and change the route structure of the airline. In early 2002, the company began a "micro-hub" operation based in Albany, New York. At its high point in 2003 and 2004, the hub served 21 cities within the Northeast and Canada with a fleet of Beechcraft 1900s. Service was also provided out of Boston's Logan International Airport to several Northeast cities.
In January 2003, CommuteAir announced an agreement with Continental to feed the latter's Cleveland, Ohio hub. Service commenced on March 16, 2003, serving Kalamazoo, Michigan and Elmira, New York. Two cities were added the following month and by August 2003, CommuteAir served 12 cities from the Cleveland hub.
CommuteAir leased sixteen Bombardier Q200 aircraft from Horizon Air in 2006. The following year, the Beech 1900s were phased out.
On October 30, 2007, the company moved all remaining operations from Clinton County Airport, due to the closure of the airport. All operations were then conducted out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
On October 2, 2008, the company began operations out of Newark Liberty International Airport, following Continental Airlines plan to adjust to the softening industry.
CommuteAir's pilot group voted for union representation by the Air Line Pilots Association in 2008. That same year, Continental Airlines announced that it would cut flights and more than 3,000 jobs. Subsequently, it was announced that some of CommuteAir's Cleveland flights would be eliminated as part of Continental's cutbacks.
In 2010, following the merger of United and Continental, CommuteAir became a United Express carrier and United Airlines asked CommuteAir to obtain five Bombardier Q300s. Two of the aircraft were allocated to Cleveland services and three aircraft were allocated to Newark services.
In 2012, CommuteAir opened a hub at Washington-Dulles International Airport.
In July 2014, CommuteAir closed its pilot base at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, after United Airlines withdrew its Cleveland hub. CommuteAir also closed its Cleveland maintenance base, and replaced it with a new maintenance base in Albany, New York.
On November 9, 2015, CommuteAir announced that it has reached an agreement with United Airlines to significantly increase the number of airplanes flown under the United Express brand by adding Embraer ERJ 145 jet operations to the company's existing fleet of Bombardier turbo-prop aircraft.
In July 2016, CommuteAir began commercial service with its inaugural flight on the ERJ 145 jet from Washington, D.C. to Columbia, SC.
In September 2017, the Q300 was phased out and in January 2018, the Q200 was phased out, marking the end of turbo-prop operations.
On July 30, 2020, it was announced that United Airlines had decided to end its contract with fellow United Express affiliate ExpressJet and transferred these operations to CommuteAir. CommuteAir became the sole operator of the United Express ERJ 145 fleet.
On September 30, 2020, CommuteAir started servicing United's Houston hub and on March 28, 2021, it began service out of Denver International Airport. The latter marks the return of the ERJ 145 to the Denver United Express fleet since COVID and the cessation of operations by Trans States Airlines. CommuteAir operated its final flights from Denver in May 2024 before closing its pilot and flight attendant bases and consolidating its operations in Houston and Washington-Dulles.
On January 19, 2023, hacker maia arson crimew announced she had compromised web servers belonging to CommuteAir and obtained access to flight and personnel scheduling systems, the personal data of airline staff, and a 2019 copy of the US Government No Fly List.
On May 19, 2025, CommuteAir announced closure of its Lincoln Airport base. All operations at LNK ceased on July 18, 2025.

Destinations

CityCountry IATAAirportNotes
BirminghamUnited States BHMBirmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport
HuntsvilleUnited States HSVHuntsville International Airport
MobileUnited States MOBMobile Regional Airport
BentonvilleUnited States XNANorthwest Arkansas National Airport
Little RockUnited States LITClinton National Airport
DurangoUnited States DRODurango–La Plata County Airport
Colorado SpringsUnited States COSColorado Springs Airport
Grand JunctionUnited States GJTGrand Junction Regional Airport
HartfordUnited States BDLBradley International Airport
Panama CityUnited States ECPNorthwest Florida Beaches International Airport
PensacolaUnited States PNSPensacola International Airport
SavannahUnited States SAVSavannah/Hilton Head International Airport
WichitaUnited States ICTWichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
LouisvilleUnited States SDFLouisville International Airport
Cincinnati / Northern KentuckyUnited States CVGCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Baton RougeUnited States BTRBaton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
Lake CharlesUnited States LCHLake Charles Regional Airport
LafayetteUnited States LFTLafayette Regional Airport
ShreveportUnited States SHVShreveport Regional Airport
PortlandUnited States PWMPortland International Jetport
DetroitUnited States DTWDetroit Metropolitan Airport
Gulfport / BiloxiUnited States GPTGulfport–Biloxi International Airport
JacksonUnited States JANJackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport
St. LouisUnited States STLSt. Louis Lambert International Airport
SpringfieldUnited States SGFSpringfield–Branson National Airport
AlbuquerqueUnited States ABQAlbuquerque International Sunport
HobbsUnited States HOBLea County Regional Airport
Santa FeUnited States SAFSanta Fe Regional Airport
AlbanyUnited States ALBAlbany International AirportMaintenance base
BuffaloUnited States BUFBuffalo Niagara International Airport
RochesterUnited States ROCGreater Rochester International Airport
SyracuseUnited States SYRSyracuse Hancock International Airport
MinotUnited States MOTMinot International AirportCharters Only
ClevelandUnited States CLECleveland Hopkins International AirportHeadquarters
ColumbusUnited States CMHJohn Glenn Columbus International Airport
DaytonUnited States DAYDayton International Airport
TulsaUnited States TULTulsa International Airport
HarrisburgUnited States MDTHarrisburg International Airport
PhiladelphiaUnited States PHLPhiladelphia International Airport
Wilkes-Barre / ScrantonUnited States AVPWilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport
State CollegeUnited States SCEState College Regional Airport
ProvidenceUnited States PVDT.F. Green International Airport
CharlestonUnited States CHSCharleston International Airport
ColumbiaUnited States CAEColumbia Metropolitan Airport
KnoxvilleUnited States TYSMcGhee Tyson Airport
MemphisUnited States MEMMemphis International Airport
NashvilleUnited States BNANashville International Airport
AmarilloUnited States AMARick Husband Amarillo International Airport
BrownsvilleUnited States BROBrownsville/South Padre Island International Airport
Corpus ChristiUnited States CRPCorpus Christi International Airport
HarlingenUnited States HRLValley International Airport
HoustonUnited States IAHGeorge Bush Intercontinental Airport
LaredoUnited States LRDLaredo International Airport
LubbockUnited States LBBLubbock Preston Smith International Airport
McAllenUnited States MFEMcAllen Miller International Airport
MidlandUnited States MAFMidland International Air and Space Port
BurlingtonUnited States BTVBurlington International Airport
CharlottesvilleUnited States CHOCharlottesville-Albemarle Airport
NorfolkUnited States ORFNorfolk International Airport
RichmondUnited States RICRichmond International Airport
RoanokeUnited States ROARoanoke Regional Airport
Washington, D.C./ Northern VirginiaUnited States IADWashington Dulles International Airport
CasperUnited States CPRCasper–Natrona County International Airport
CodyUnited States CODYellowstone Regional Airport
TorontoCanada YYZLester Pearson International Airport
OttawaCanada YOWOttawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
MontréalCanada YULMontréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
AguascalientesMexico AGULic. Jesús Terán Peredo International Airport
OaxacaMexico OAXXoxocotlán International Airport
MoreliaMexico MLMGeneral Francisco Mujica International Airport
TampicoMexico TAMGeneral Francisco Javier Mina International Airport
Puebla CityMexico PBCHermanos Serdán International Airport
VeracruzMexico VERVeracruz International Airport