Cape Air
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Hyannis Air Service Inc., operating as Cape Air, is an airline headquartered at Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States. It operates scheduled passenger services in the Northeast, the Caribbean, and Eastern Montana.<ref name="About">Template:Cite web</ref>
The airline operates under the rules of Part 135 Commuter using light aircraft.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has interlining and codeshare agreements with other major carriers for ticketing and baggage transfers. Flights between Hyannis and Nantucket, Massachusetts, are operated under the Nantucket Airlines brand, also operated by Hyannis Air Service, Inc. The company slogan is We're your wings.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Cape Air was co-founded in 1988 by company pilots Craig Stewart and Dan Wolf, and investor Grant Wilson. Initially, Cape Air flew between Provincetown and Boston in Massachusetts, a route that had been recently discontinued by Provincetown-Boston Airlines (PBA) after airline deregulation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Throughout the early 1990s new routes were added to destinations across Cape Cod and southeastern New England. In 1994, Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines merged and now offer hourly flights between Nantucket and Hyannis.
In 1993, Cape Air began service in Florida with flights operating from Key West International Airport to Naples Municipal Airport. Florida service expanded in 1996 with flights from Key West to both Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cape Air also began a network in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in 1998, which were mostly based out of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.<ref name="Departed Flights 2003">Template:Cite web</ref>
2004 marked the launch year of FAR Part 121 certification and a new hub of operations in Guam. This included a new fleet type consisting of three ATR 42 Turboprop aircraft. The startup team, led by Pacific Administrator, Captain Russell Price,Template:Citation needed launched scheduled service in July 2004 with the three ATR aircraft and two of the C402. Service was operated as Continental Connection, the regional brand of Continental Airlines, and flights flew from Guam to the Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan and Rota. Due to the International Dateline and the midnight connecting service to/from Japan, it was sometimes referred to as "America's First Flight" i.e.: the first departure daily of any airline flight in the United States.Template:Citation needed
In the 2000s, Cape Air's flights in Florida between Fort Myers and Key West also began operating under the Continental Connection banner, though the Cessnas remained in the Cape Air livery. Cape Air also began flying flights for Continental Connection from Tampa International Airport to both Sarasota and Fort Myers (the latter route had been previously operated by Continental Connection carrier Gulfstream International Airlines).<ref name="Departed Flights 2003"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In late 2007, the airline began a new round of expansion in the Northeast and Midwest. On 1 November 2007, the airline began service between Boston and Rutland, Vermont, with three daily round trips. The route is operated under contract with the U.S. government Essential Air Service (EAS) program. With the help of an intrastate minimum revenue guarantee, Cape Air expanded into Indiana on 13 November 2007, offering flights from Indianapolis to Evansville and South Bend. Passenger revenue did not grow quickly enough to make the operation economically sustainable once the revenue guarantee ended, so the last Cape Air flight in Indiana was on 31 August 2008.
Cape Air began flights between Florida Keys Marathon Airport and Fort Myers in 2008 but this service was discontinued a year later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the end of 2009, Florida service was no longer operated as Continental Connection and flights from Fort Myers to Key West were Cape Air's only remaining Florida service. Cape Air ended all intra-Florida flights in 2013.<ref name="About" />
The airline expanded into upstate New York in early 2008, following the sudden demise of Delta Connection carrier, Big Sky Airlines. Cape Air began flying three daily round-trips on Essential Air Service routes from Boston to the Adirondack cities of Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake on February 12, 2008. The airline continued its expansion into New York when they started to fly the EAS routes out of Albany to Watertown, Ogdensburg, and Massena, and Rutland Airport. Cape Air commenced service from Rockland, Maine, and Lebanon, New Hampshire, to Boston on November 1, 2008. The company purchased four additional Cessna 402s to assist with the major growth.
Cape Air was also looking to offer services on the west coast. Cape Air submitted bids to offer service between Newport and Portland in the state of Oregon. The airline was hoping to be selected by the Newport city council to receive a financial grant to jump-start the service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ultimately they lost out to SeaPort Airlines, which was able to start service sooner than Cape Air.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, in September 2013, the DOT selected Cape Air to provide EAS service between Billings and five communities in Eastern Montana, including, Sidney, Glendive, Glasgow, Havre and Wolf Point. Service in Montana started on December 10, 2013. The airline also expanded operations in the mid-Atlantic region. Cape Air provided scheduled flights from both the Hagerstown Regional Airport and the Lancaster Airport to the Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Service out of Baltimore ended in October 2012.
In May 2013, Cape Air named Linda Markham as the new president and chief administrative officer.
Cape Air carried 750,000 passengers in 2014 and offered up to 550 daily flights, achieving revenues of $120 million.<ref name="Cape4jun2015">Template:Cite web</ref> Cape Air is the largest independent regional airline in the United States, with new routes driving steady increases over time.
In 2016, Cape Air started flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Bimini, Bahamas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cape Air flights in Guam continued operating under the United Express branding following the merger of Continental Airlines and United Airlines in 2010. On April 16, 2018, United Airlines announced the end of its partnership with Cape Air. Services ended on May 31, 2018, which marked the end of United Express operations in Guam, along with the retirement of the last turboprop aircraft in the United Express fleet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
By 2023, Cape Air was flying between Chicago’s O’Hare and Manistee County Blacker Airport near Manistee, Michigan, and had codesharing or interline agreements on the route with other carriers including American and United.<ref name=Airport>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pilots
In early 2016 the company had canceled flights citing a shortage of pilots. The Air Line Pilots Association disputed the existence of a pilot shortage instead citing low wages as the reason for the lack of pilots.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cape Air takes on pilots as co-pilots after 500-750h in entry-level roles like instructing. They are upgraded to captain after 1,500h as first officers and they can join partners JetBlue or Spirit Airlines after 1,500h again in around two years. Cape Air also recruits pilots over 65, the mandatory retirement age for FAR Part 121 airlines, so long as they maintain a first-class medical.<ref name="Flight1apr2019">Template:Cite news</ref>
Nantucket Airlines
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In 1994 Cape Air merged with Nantucket Airlines. Since then, Nantucket Airlines has operated as a sister airline to Cape Air focusing on flights between Nantucket Memorial Airport and Barnstable Municipal Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nantucket Airlines utilizes a small sub-fleet of Cessna 402C Businessliners/Utililiners painted in Nantucket Airlines livery.
Destinations
Cape Air operates three separate, disconnected sets of flights in the Northeast, the Caribbean, and Montana.
Northeast
Caribbean
Montana
| City | Airport | IATA Code | Destinations<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag icon Montana | ||||
| Billings | Logan International Airport | BIL | Glasgow MT, Glendive, Havre, Sidney MT, Wolf Point | |
| Glasgow | Glasgow Valley County Airport | GGW | Billings | |
| Glendive | Dawson Community Airport | GDV | Billings | |
| Havre | Havre City–County Airport | HVR | Billings | |
| Sidney | Sidney–Richland Municipal Airport | SDY | Billings | |
| Wolf Point | L. M. Clayton Airport | OLF | Billings | |
Codeshares
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JetBlue
Since February 2007, Cape Air and JetBlue Airways have had an interline agreement. The agreement allows Cape Air to carry JetBlue Airways passengers from Boston's Logan Airport and San Juan to Cape Air's destinations throughout the Northeast, Florida and the Caribbean. The agreement allows customers on both airlines to purchase seats on both airlines under one reservation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Customers also get their baggage transferred and Cape Air and JetBlue Airways are located in the same terminal in Boston and San Juan which allows for an easy connection.
American Airlines
Cape Air and American Airlines (AA) announced a code-sharing agreement for the Caribbean in February 2013. The cities served by the AA codeshare are Anguilla, Nevis, Tortola, Vieques and Mayaguez. In the Midwest, Cape Air and American have had a code sharing agreement since 2010, which allows passengers from Marion, IL, Owensboro, KY, and Kirksville, MO, to connect in St. Louis, MO. This ended on July 31, 2023, and those airports now have service to Chicago, IL via Contour Airlines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
United Airlines
Cape Air has been a longtime partner with United Airlines (UA) and offers a code sharing agreement for many destinations. Passengers traveling through the Caribbean on select codeshare flights can enjoy special through-fares, advanced boarding passes and the ability to earn miles on a Cape Air flight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Interline agreements
Cape Air partners with the following airlines to provide interline flow-through ticketing and baggage transfers:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Condor
- Delta Air Lines
- Hahn Air<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue
- Qatar Airways
- United Airlines
Seaplane base
The airline operates Cape Air Boston Harbor Seaplane Base near Logan International Airport, Template:Airport codes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fleet
Template:As of, Cape Air's fleet consists of the following aircraft:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FI">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Type | Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britten-Norman Islander<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 4 | – | 9 | Operates in the Caribbean. |
| Cessna 402 | 64 | – | 9 | To be retired and replaced by Tecnam P2012 Traveller. 9th seat is the unused co-pilot chair. |
| Eviation Alice | – | 75<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> | 9 | To be the first use of an electric aircraft for passengers. Replacing the Cessna 402. |
| Tecnam P2012 Traveller | 30 | 70<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 9 | Replacing the Cessna 402. |
| Total | 98 | 145 | ||
In November 2010, Cape Air announced that it was considering new aircraft types to replace the Cessna 402.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 2011, Italian aircraft producer Tecnam announced it will be producing the Tecnam P2012 Traveller.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The aircraft made its first flight in July 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first aircraft was delivered to Cape Air in March 2019.<ref name="Flight1apr2019" /> Cape Air formerly utilized the ATR 42 for United Express operations in Guam. However, when United retired its propeller fleet, the partnership ended between the two airlines. At the 2019 Paris Air Show, Eviation Aircraft announced that Cape Air would add the electric Eviation Alice aircraft to their fleet.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Accidents and incidents
- On January 30, 2001, a Cape Air Cessna 402C with one crew member and one passenger aboard impacted terrain while attempting a missed approach at Vineyard Haven Airport of Martha's Vineyard, coming from Providence, Rhode Island. The aircraft was destroyed. Both occupants survived but suffered serious injuries. The probable cause of the accident was later determined by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to be "the pilot's failure to maintain a stabilized approach with an adequate vertical and lateral track." The NTSB stated that "also causal was his failure to maintain obstacle clearance."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On July 8, 2001, a repositioning flight to Nantucket crashed upon takeoff from Boston Logan. The Cessna 402C crashed into the runway after the pilot, the sole occupant, opted to waive the wake turbulence hold time and lost control when encountering wake turbulence from a Boeing 737-300 that had taken off prior. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot survived with minor injuries. The NTSB later determined the probable causes of the accident to be "The pilot's improper decision to waive the wake turbulence hold time, and his subsequent loss of control when wake vortex turbulence was encountered."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On June 12, 2007, Cape Air grounded its entire Cessna 402C fleet nationwide after three in-flight engine failures. The problem was blamed on premature wear on the crankshaft counterweight. All 402 services were canceled for two days while the counterweights were inspected and replaced as necessary. Normal service resumed about four days after the initial fleet grounding.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The FAA stated that they were monitoring repairs, but that all action taken by Cape Air was voluntary and not ordered by the FAA.<ref name="globe-grounding">Template:Cite news</ref>
- On September 26, 2008, a repositioning flight from Martha's Vineyard crashed while en route to Boston. Shortly after takeoff from runway 33, the Cessna 402C plane went down about two and a half miles from the airport, killing the pilot, who was the sole occupant.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to this date, Cape Air had maintained a fatality-free record over its 18-year history.<ref>"Investigators Seek Cause Of Cape Air Crash Template:Webarchive." WCVB-TV. Posted September 26, 2008 - updated September 28, 2008.</ref> The probable cause of the crash was later determined to be a loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On January 22, 2009, a Cape Air 402C with six passengers aboard during a night flight from Key West to Fort Myers, Florida, lost power in both engines as a result of fuel starvation due to faulty maintenance of the fuel selector.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The aircraft made a successful emergency landing at Naples Municipal Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On February 1, 2010, a Cape Air 402C with one crew member and six passengers aboard suffered substantial damage following a runway excursion at Watertown International Airport in Watertown, New York. The airplane suffered an undetermined malfunction of its left airspeed indicator. The pilot opted to continue the approach despite this, likely due to feeling pressured by deteriorating weather conditions, rather than identifying and correcting the airspeed indicator anomaly or cross-referencing with other instruments. No occupant injuries were reported. The final NTSB found the probable cause of the accident to be "the pilot's decision to continue the approach with a known anomaly with the left airspeed indicator," and stated as well that "contributing to the accident was an undetermined malfunction of the left airspeed indicator and the condition of the runway, resulting in decreased braking capability."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On September 9, 2021, a Cape Air 402C with one crew member and six passengers aboard went down in trees on approach to Provincetown Airport, coming from Boston.<ref name="avwebsep2021">Template:Cite web</ref> There were no fatalities, but occupants suffered burns and broken bones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The pilot told investigators that the aircraft was traveling faster than expected and the plane struck trees during an attempt for a go around.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On September 17, 2024, a Cape Air 402C headed to Bar Harbor went back to Boston Logan and landed on one wheel. The pilot and two passengers exited safely.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
References
External links
Template:Portal bar Template:Continental Connection Carriers Template:Airlines of the United States