American Eagle is the brand for regional airline flights operated for American Airlines, encompassing flights by wholly owned affiliates Envoy Air, PSA Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines, as well as third-party carriers Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines. These regional carriers serve smaller markets, facilitating connections to American Airlines hubs, and supporting operations in mainline markets. All American Eagle carriers share similar logos, uniforms, and aircraft paint schemes as American Airlines’ mainline operations. In 2023, 46 million passengers flew on American Eagle regional flights, with about 45% connecting to or from mainline flights. These flights operate under capacity purchase agreements with both third-party and wholly owned regional carriers, controlling all aspects of marketing, scheduling, ticketing, pricing, and seat inventories. American Airlines pays fixed fees for operating specified aircraft and covering certain variable costs, such as fuel, landing fees, and insurance.
Airlines and fleet
, the combined American Eagle-branded fleet consists of the following regional jet aircraft:
AirlineAircraftIn fleetOrdersPassengersNotes F Y+ Y TotalAmerican Airlines Group subsidiaries Envoy AirEmbraer 170433612203465One seat blocked.Orders are for used aircraft.Embraer 1751243312204476Piedmont AirlinesEmbraer ERJ 14567——34750Embraer 175—4512204476PSA AirlinesBombardier CRJ70060—9124465One crashed in American Eagle Flight 5342 on January 29, 2025.Bombardier CRJ90094—12244076One seat blocked on 35 aircraft.Third-party contractorsRepublic AirwaysEmbraer 17013—12203465One seat blocked.To be transferred to Envoy Air.Embraer 17576—12204476SkyWest AirlinesBombardier CRJ70071—9164065Bombardier CRJ9009—12244076Embraer 17520—12204476Total577114
In addition to the orders listed above, American Airlines also placed an order for 90 Embraer 175 aircraft back in 2024. Envoy announced it was to receive 33 of those shortly after. In June of 2025, it was announced that Piedmont Airlines was to take half of that order and acquire 45 units of the type. This is a new aircraft to operate for the airline.
History
Before the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, most major US air carriers maintained close relationships with independent regional carriers to feed passengers from smaller markets into larger cities, and, in turn, onto larger legacy carriers. In the post-regulation era, the hub-and-spoke system gained prominence, and to feed traffic from smaller markets to these newly established hubs, the major carriers outsourced regional operations to these smaller carriers. These relationships included the use of code sharing, shared branding, and listing regional partners in the computer reservations systems of the mainline carrier.
American Eagle commenced service on November 1, 1984, when Metroflight Airlines (a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Airlines) became the first operator to join the network."2 carriers sign pacts with airliner" , Associated Press, via San Angelo Standard-Times, October 25, 1984, page 7C. The first American Eagle-branded flight was operated by Metro that day from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), using a Convair 580 turboprop aircraft."40 Years of American Eagle" , Envoy Air, November 1, 2024. Metroflight also operated de Havilland Canada DHC-6 commuter turboprop aircraft on American Eagle flights serving DFW.Dallas/Fort Worth flight schedules , February 15, 1985, Official Airline Guide (OAG), via departedflights.com. Chaparral Airlines was the second operator to join the network, beginning American Eagle flights on December 1, 1984. Other operators later contracted by American Airlines to fly the American Eagle banner during this time included Air Midwest, Air Virginia (later AVAir), Command Airways, Simmons Airlines, and Wings West.
On September 15, 1986, Executive Airlines joined the American Eagle system. With hub operations at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the addition of Executive Airways to the American Eagle family opened an extensive inter-island network throughout the Caribbean.
Between 1987 and 1989, AMR Corp. (parent corporation of American Airlines) gradually acquired most of its regional carriers, starting with Simmons Airlines. By 1991, AMR had consolidated its wholly owned regional carriers into four entities: Executive Airlines, Flagship Airlines, Simmons Airlines, and Wings West. AMR would later purchase the assets of bankrupt Metro Airlines in 1993. At this point, AMR owned all of the airlines that were operating for American Eagle.
On May 15, 1998, Flagship Airlines and Wings West merged into Simmons Airlines, with the new entity named American Eagle Airlines. Along with Executive Airlines, these would be the only operators using the American Eagle brand name for the next fourteen years.
After American Airlines acquired Trans World Airlines (TWA) in 2001, it retained contracts with the carriers that operated under the Trans World Express banner, which included Chautauqua Airlines, Corporate Airlines, and Trans States Airlines. However, instead of being integrated into the American Eagle brand, these carriers operated under a separate regional brand known as AmericanConnection. This brand name was used for thirteen years before being discontinued in 2014.
2010s developments As part of its restructuring and emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy, AMR announced it would contract American Eagle flying to carriers outside its wholly owned subsidiaries. On November 15, 2012, SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines—both subsidiaries of SkyWest, Inc.—began operations for American Eagle. On August 1, 2013, Republic Airways, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, commenced flying operations under the American Eagle branding as part of a 12-year capacity purchase agreement to operate Embraer 175 aircraft for American Eagle.American Airlines confirms launch of E175 operations | CAPA . Centre for Aviation. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.
On September 12, 2012, AMR announced the discontinuation of the AmericanConnection brand, and the integration of all operations into the American Eagle brand.Sky Talk: Eagle won't fly American feed out of LAX, closing pilot and flight attendant base . Blogs.star-telegram.com (September 12, 2012). Retrieved on 2013-08-16. However, Chautauqua Airlines, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, and the only operator of AmericanConnection flights at the time of the announcement, opted not to renew its contract. All AmericanConnection flights ended on August 19, 2014.
American Eagle service operated by Executive Airlines ceased operations on March 31, 2013. At the same time, its base at San Juan was dehubbed.
Because an increasing number of other carriers were contracting to fly under the American Eagle brand, it was announced on January 15, 2014, that American Eagle Airlines would change its name to Envoy Air effective on April 15, 2014.
Compass Airlines, a subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, began American Eagle operations on March 27, 2015, as part of a deal to operate 20 new Embraer 175 aircraft on behalf of American. These aircraft were based at American's Los Angeles hub. Compass ceased operations after April 5, 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic reducing demand.
Air Wisconsin had announced it would exclusively fly as United Express which commenced in March 2018, ending its involvement in operating flights under the American Eagle brand.
In May 2018, American Airlines announced the termination of its partnerships with ExpressJet and Trans States Airlines as of 2019, meaning the end of those operators conducting American Eagle flights.
In September 2020, Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Eagle, announced a permanent closure at its two New York City bases at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, due to a new codeshare agreement between American Airlines and JetBlue.
On January 10, 2025, Air Wisconsin announced it was terminating CRJ-200 operations for American Eagle to pursue its own Essential Air Service operations. It is anticipated that American and Air Wisconsin will continue an interline and codeshare relationship with American.
Former operators Airline Years of operation NotesAir Midwest1985–1988Assets acquired by AMR and integrated into Nashville Eagle.Air Wisconsin2005–2018; 2023–2025Transitioned to exclusively flying charter and Essential Air Service subsidized flights.American Eagle Airlines1998–2014Rebranded as Envoy Air.AVAir (formerly Air Virginia)1985–1988 Declared Bankruptcy; Assets acquired by AMR and integrated into Nashville Eagle.Chaparral Airlines1984–1990Acquired by AMR in 1992.Merged with Metroflight Airlines.Command Airways1986–1991Acquired by AMR in 1988.Merged with Nashville Eagle to form Flagship Airlines.Compass Airlines2015–2020Ceased operations in April 2020. Assets transferred to Envoy Air.Executive Airlines1986–2013Acquired by AMR in 1989.ExpressJet2013–2018Transferred exclusively to United Express.Flagship Airlines1991–1998Merged with Simmons Airlines and Wings West Airlines to form American Eagle Airlines.Mesa Airlines2014–2023Transferred exclusively to United Express.Metroflight Airlines, a division of Metro Airlines1984–1993Declared Bankruptcy: Assets acquired by AMR and integrated into Simmons Airlines.Nashville Eagle1988–1991Merged with Command Airways to form Flagship Airlines.Simmons Airlines1985–1998Acquired by AMR in 1987.Merged with Flagship Airlines and Wings West Airlines to form American Eagle Airlines.Trans States Airlines1985–2018Originally flew as Trans World Express. Transferred exclusively to United Express.Wings West Airlines1986–1998Acquired by AMR in 1987.Merged with Flagship Airlines and Simmons Airlines to form American Eagle Airlines.
• In January 1988, Nashville Eagle became AMR Corp.’s first and only start-up airline, using equipment acquired from Air Midwest.• Business Express was acquired by AMR Eagle Holdings Corporation in March 1999,"Company News: American Eagle Air buying Business Express." The New York Times. December 5, 1998 although it never flew under the American Eagle brand before being fully integrated into American Eagle Airlines, Inc. in December 2000.
Historical regional jet fleet The American Eagle brand, through its various regional and commuter airline partners, operated a variety of twinjet aircraft over the years including the following types: AircraftTotalIntroducedRetiredReplacementNotesBombardier CRJ20014220122025Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer 175Operated by PSA Airlines, Air Wisconsin, SkyWest Airlines, and ExpressJetEmbraer ERJ 1354019992019Embraer ERJ 145Operated by American EagleEmbraer ERJ 1405920142021Embraer ERJ 145Operated by Envoy Air
Historical turboprop fleet
The American Eagle brand, through its various regional and commuter airline partners, operated a variety of twin-turboprop aircraft over the years including the following types: