Delta is loaning Pinnacle seven former Freedom Airlines aircraft while Pinnacle awaits delivery of its own aircraft beginning in January. The additional Bombardier CRJ 900 will launch operations this month. Related Story
"Delta has asked us to operate additional CRJ-900 aircraft that are being returned from another Delta Connection carrier beginning in October," said Phil Trenary, Pinnacle Airlines Corp.'s president and chief executive officer. "In addition, we are able to put to work two of our CRJ-900 aircraft as needed during the transition. This additional flying is mutually beneficial to Delta and Pinnacle, and we are glad to assist."
Pinnacle currently has eleven CRJ-900 aircraft in its fleet, with nine aircraft in service under its Delta Connection Agreement. It will receive three CRJ-900s in October and four more in November, temporarily taking the number in Pinnacle's fleet to 18. The aircraft will be leased by Pinnacle from Delta on a short-term basis. Pinnacle will operate these temporary aircraft under the terms of the existing Delta Connection Agreement, although Pinnacle will only pay a nominal rent under the terms of the leases.
Pinnacle will operate these seven temporary CRJ-900 aircraft until the five remaining CRJ-900 aircraft that Pinnacle has on order from the manufacturer begin arriving in January 2009. As Pinnacle's aircraft deliver from the manufacturer, the seven temporary aircraft will be returned to Delta to be operated by another Delta Connection carrier. Pinnacle will receive the 16th CRJ-900 from the aircraft manufacturer by May 2009.
Two of Pinnacle's existing fleet of CRJ-900 aircraft are currently not in service under the Delta Connection Agreement. Pinnacle will operate these two aircraft from time to time during the fourth quarter as needed to support the transition of the seven temporary aircraft into scheduled service. On days when these two aircraft are scheduled, Delta will reimburse Pinnacle a pro-rata portion of its ownership costs related to these aircraft, in addition to normal variable compensation under the Delta Connection Agreement. These two aircraft will enter permanent service under the Delta Connection Agreement in January, as previously planned.