Compass Airlines Selected To Operate 20 New Embraer E175 Aircraft Owned By American Airlines

ST. LOUIS, June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc., today announced it will operate 20 new 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft owned by American Airlines, Inc. Compass expects to begin taking delivery of the aircraft and start scheduled service under the American Eagle brand and livery in the first quarter of 2015. The agreement also provides American the option to place additional E175 aircraft it owns with Compass in the future.

"We're thrilled to begin our partnership with American with these 20 new state-of-the-art aircraft that will allow us to provide a top-tier experience to customers of American," said Compass Airlines President and CEO Richard Leach. "The opportunity to grow our operation for American beyond the 20 initial E175s we have been awarded also points to a bright future for Compass and our employees."

American Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL), announced in December 2013 it had signed agreements with Embraer S.A. to purchase 60 new 76-seat E175 regional jets, with options for up to 90 additional aircraft. With continued new aircraft deliveries over the next several years, American will have one of the most modern and efficient fleets in the industry.

The addition of these 20 American aircraft will increase the fleet size of Compass Airlines to 62 aircraft, all of which are either Embraer E175 or E170 aircraft.

"Compass Airlines has a proven history of providing safe, reliable, customer-friendly and cost-effective service on the E175 aircraft and this made Compass a great choice for our business and our customers," said Kenji Hashimoto, senior vice president of regional carriers for American Airlines. "This is the first time Compass will provide regional flight service for American. We are looking forward to Compass operating these new aircraft to provide an exceptional travel experience to American's customers connecting to our extensive global network."

The new E175s will offer American Airlines customers a more seamless transition from mainline to regional flights with 12 First Class seats, 20 Main Cabin Extra seats offering additional legroom and 44 seats in the Main Cabin. The aircraft will also feature modern cabin elements including in-flight Wi-Fi, full-size overhead bins, more spacious lavatories, leather seats and adjustable headrests. Powered by General Electric CF34 engines, the E175 also is one of the most fuel efficient 76-seat aircraft in the market today.

About Compass Airlines
Compass Airlines, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc. Compass Airlines began commercial service in May 2007 with a mission to provide safe, reliable, cost-effective and customer-friendly service to the passengers it serves. Compass currently has more than 1,200 employees operating 36 Embraer E175 and six Embraer E170 aircraft from its Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and Detroit (DTW) hubs, as well as a maintenance facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Compass currently serves 57 cities, operates approximately 200 daily flights, and carries approximately 4 million passengers annually.

About Trans States Holdings
Trans States Holdings, Inc. is a privately owned holding company for three regional airlines, including Compass Airlines, GoJet Airlines and Trans States Airlines. The Trans States Holdings family of airlines provides scheduled passenger service under the US Airways Express, United Express and Delta Connection regional service brands. The company is headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL).

SOURCE Compass Airlines