Colgan Air Makes Final Flight as Airline Shuts Down Operations

Earlier this week, on September 5, 2012, Colgan Air took off from the Newark Liberty International Airport for the last time. The last flight of Colgan Air came as the airline was shut down by its new parent company, Pinnacle Airlines.

Colgan Air was founded in 1965 by owner Chuck Colgan. In its early history, the airline began as a small single aircraft commuter flying businessmen and politicians from Washington to surrounding airports. Several years ago the airline was acquired by Pinnacle Airlines continuing to operate as a subsidiary.

Colgan Air operated from a number of hubs flying express flights for mainline carriers Continental (now United), US Airways, and Delta. The airline appeared in the spotlight in 2009 while flying the Bombardier DHC-8-400, commonly known as the Q-400 turboprops for Continental. It was during a final approach to Buffalo NY that flight 3407 crashed killing all 52 on-board the aircraft and one person on the ground. Pilot error was cited as the cause of the crash.

As part of the corporation’s current restructuring plan, Pinnacle Airlines ended the Colgan operations and will be merging many of the pilots into the Pinnacle ranks. However, the resulting integration of the pilot groups with reportedly result in the furlough of many pilots from both Colgan and Pinnacle.