Cape Air

File:DanWolf 2017-07-22.jpg]]

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.{{cite web |title=Cape Air |url=https://www.sunshineskies.com/capeair.html |website=Sunshine Skies |access-date=25 May 2023}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1988-09-06 |title=Deregulation Blamed for Demise of Commuter Airline |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-06-fi-1628-story.html |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Ruane |first1=Laura |title=Key West even more colorful |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-press-key-west-even-more-colorful/157280166/ |access-date=6 December 2024 |work=The News-Press |date=13 February 1997 |page=39 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}{{cite web |title=Cape Air: June 12, 1997 |url=http://www.departedflights.com/9K061297.html |website=Departed Flights |access-date=25 May 2023}} 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.{{cite web |title=Cape Air: June 12, 2003 |url=http://www.departedflights.com/9K061203.html |website=Departed Flights |access-date=25 May 2023}}

File:Cape Air N42836 ATR 42.jpg operated for Continental Connection]]

File:Cape Air Cessna 402 Debarting KLEB January 2020.jpg

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,{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} 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.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

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).{{cite web |title=Airlines Serving Tampa in June 2001 |url=https://departedflights2.com/airlines-serving-tampa-in-june-2001/ |website=Departed Flights 2 |date=November 27, 2022 |access-date=25 May 2023}}

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.{{cite web |title=Air Service Update: November 2008 |url=https://www.flylcpa.com/pdfs/CurrentAirServiceUpdate.pdf |website=Southwest Florida International Airport |access-date=24 May 2023}} 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.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/flap_over_newport_airport_ends.html |title=Flap Over Newport Airport Ends in Lawsuit, Oregon Department of Justice investigation |last1=Tobias |first1=Lori |date=May 21, 2010 |work=The Oregonian |publisher=Oregon Live, LLC |access-date=November 4, 2010}} Ultimately they lost out to SeaPort Airlines, which was able to start service sooner than Cape Air.{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=55947&TM=8554.535 |title=Paid Registration Required |work=The Daily Astorian |publisher=East Oregonian Publishing Co. |access-date=November 4, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922213838/http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2 |archive-date=September 22, 2010 }} 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).{{cite web |url=http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=213633&format=html |first1=Andrew |last1=Schotz |title=Second Airline Chosen to Serve Hagerstown |publisher=The Herald-Mail Company |work=The Herald-Mail |access-date=November 4, 2010 |date=January 2, 2009}} 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.{{cite web |url= http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/qhw/downloadabledocs/CapeAirProposal.pdf |title= Proposal of [Cape Air] to provide subsidized Essential Air Service To/From Lambert - St. Louis |date= June 4, 2015 |author= Hyannis Air Service, Inc., dba Cape Air |access-date= October 2, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181002180647/http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/qhw/downloadabledocs/CapeAirProposal.pdf |archive-date= October 2, 2018 |url-status= dead }}

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.{{cite web |title=Cape Air Offers New Service to Bimini |url=https://www.capeair.com/theme/single-news.html?id=958 |website=Cape Air |access-date=25 May 2023}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/04/16/united-change-flights-between-guam-and-saipan-june-1/519347002/|title=United to change flights between Guam and Saipan June 1|date=April 16, 2018}}

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.{{cite web|url= https://flymanistee.com/ |title=FlyManistee|publisher=FlyManistee.com|accessdate=October 24, 2023}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Cape-Air-Cancels-Flights-Cites-Pilot-Shortage-225483-1.html|title=Cape Air Cancels Flights, Cites Pilot Shortage|work=AVweb|date=January 6, 2016|access-date=January 8, 2016}} Cape Air takes on pilots as co-pilots after 500-750h in entry-level roles like instructing.

They are promoted 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.{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-how-cape-air-is-recruiting-pilots-at-both-456606/ |title= How Cape Air is recruiting pilots at both ends of the age scale |date= April 1, 2019 |author= Murdo Morrison |work= Flightglobal}}

File:Nantucket Airlines Cessna 402C II (N763EA) at Provincetown Municipal Airport.jpg

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nantucketairlines.com/about_us/index.html|title=Nantucket Airlines | About Us|website=www.nantucketairlines.com}} Nantucket Airlines utilizes a small sub-fleet of Cessna 402C Businessliners/Utililiners painted in Nantucket Airlines livery.

Cape Air operates three separate, disconnected sets of flights in the Northeast, the Caribbean, and Montana.

File:Cape Air (6544774239) (cropped).jpg jetway]]

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.{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Ted |date=2007-02-14 |title=JetBlue Partners With Cape Air |url=https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/jetblue-partners-with-cape-air-10338983 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=TheStreet |language=}} 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.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.whig.com/story/news/Code-share-103009 |title=Code share agreement struck with Cape Air |first1=Doug |last1=Wilson |work=Quincy Herald-Whig |date=October 30, 2009 |access-date=November 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091102111916/http://www.whig.com/story/news/Code-share-103009 |archive-date=November 2, 2009 |url-status=dead }}

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.{{Cite web|title=Cape Air {{!}} Airline Partners American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways|url=https://www.capeair.com/about_us/united-jet-blue-american.html|website=www.capeair.com|access-date=2020-05-16}}

Cape Air partners with the following airlines to provide interline flow-through ticketing and baggage transfers:{{Cite web |title=2022-6-18 Order Selecting Air Carrier |url=https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-1996-1711-0180 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720101258/https://downloads.regulations.gov/DOT-OST-1996-1711-0180/attachment_1.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2022 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Regulations.gov |url-status=live }}

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Condor
• Delta Air Lines
• Hahn Airhttps://www.hahnair.com/en/partner-carriers
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue
• Qatar Airways
• United Airlines

The airline operates Cape Air Boston Harbor Seaplane Base near Logan International Airport, {{Airport codes|BNH||MA87}}.{{cite web|title=Cape Air Seaplanes on Boston Harbor Seaplane Base|publisher=Airnav.com|date=August 13, 2020|url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/MA17|access-date=August 20, 2020}}

{{As of|2024|07}}, Cape Air's fleet consists of the following aircraft:{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2024 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/pageturnpro2.com/Publications/202409/4661/111651/PDF/133711682139850559_2024_RAA_Annual_Report_WebOnly.pdf |publisher=Regional Airline Association |access-date=17 February 2025}}{{Cite web |date=2024-03-01 |title=FAA-certificated Aircraft Operators (Legal Part 135 holders) |url=https://www.faa.gov/about/officeorg/headquartersoffices/avs/faa-certificated-aircraft-operators-legal-part-135-holders |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Federal Aviation Administration}}{{cite web | url=https://www.capeair.com/about_us/index.html | title=Cape Air About Us | access-date=2015-05-25}}

File:Cape Air Britten-Norman Islander, Block Island State Airport, RI.JPG

File:Cape Air.JPG

In November 2010, Cape Air announced that it was considering new aircraft types to replace the Cessna 402.{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/11/03/349250/cape-air-studies-three-designs-for-cessna-402-replacement.html|access-date=2010-11-10|title=Cape Air studies three designs for Cessna 402 replacement}} In April 2011, Italian aircraft producer Tecnam announced it will be producing the Tecnam P2012 Traveller.{{cite press release |title= Tecnam announces the launch of the P2012 Traveller |url= http://www.tecnam.com/it-it/notizie/23/tecnamannouncesthelaunchofthep2012traveller.aspx |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120913160807/http://www.tecnam.com/it-it/notizie/23/tecnamannouncesthelaunchofthep2012traveller.aspx |url-status= dead |archive-date= September 13, 2012 |publisher= Tecnam |date= April 13, 2011}} The aircraft made its first flight in July 2016.{{cite web |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/tecnam-p2012-traveller-takes-flight-427793/ |title= Tecnam P2012 Traveller takes flight |work= Flight Global |date= July 25, 2016}} The first aircraft was delivered to Cape Air in March 2019. 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.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eviation-announces-first-commercial-customer-cape-air-for-its-all-electric-airplane-alice-300870249.html|title=Eviation Announces First Commercial Customer, Cape Air, For Its All-Electric Airplane, Alice|last=Ltd|first=Eviation Aircraft|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-12}}

File:TJ JLAN MVY may172023 1A.jpg

• 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2007/06/12/emergency_landing_dennis_rollover?blog=80|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708120151/http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2007/06/12/emergency_landing_dennis_rollover?blog=80|title=Cape Air grounded; Boat rescue; Barnstable crash; Harwich crash; Emergency landing; Dennis rollover|archive-date=July 8, 2011}} The FAA stated that they were monitoring repairs, but that all action taken by Cape Air was voluntary and not ordered by the FAA.{{cite news |last1=Howe |first1=Peter J. |date=June 14, 2007 |title=Timing dulls sting of Cape Air grounding |url=http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/06/14/timing_dulls_sting_of_cape_air_grounding/ |work=Boston Globe}}
• 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.{{Cite web |last=Cheney |first=Christopher |date=2008-09-27 |title=Pilot identified in fatal Cape Air crash |url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/crime/2008/09/27/pilot-identified-in-fatal-cape/52252700007/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Cape Cod Times |language=}} Prior to this date, Cape Air had maintained a fatality-free record over its 18-year history."[http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/17569268/detail.html Investigators Seek Cause Of Cape Air Crash] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930063722/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/17569268/detail.html |date=September 30, 2008 }}." WCVB-TV. Posted September 26, 2008 - updated September 28, 2008. The probable cause of the crash was later determined to be a loss of aircraft control due to spatial disorientation.{{Cite web |last=Sigelman |first=Nelson |date=2010-06-03 |title=NTSB says spatial disorientation caused Cape Air crash |url=https://www.mvtimes.com/2010/06/03/ntsb-says-spatial-disorientation-caused-cape-air-crash-960/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=The Martha's Vineyard Times |language=}}
• 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.{{Cite web |date=2010-07-23 |title=N2615G, Cessna 402C, NTSB# ERA09IA140 |url=https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73268 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Docket Management System, National Transportation Safety Board}} The aircraft made a successful emergency landing at Naples Municipal Airport.{{Cite web |last=Cassidy |first=Patrick |date=2009-01-27 |title=Cape Air flight loses engine power in Fla. |url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/business/2009/01/27/cape-air-flight-loses-engine/52057492007/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Cape Cod Times |language=}}
• 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.{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Kate |date=11 September 2021 |title=Seven Injured In Cape Air Crash |url=https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/accidents-ntsb/seven-injured-in-cape-air-crash/ |access-date=12 September 2021 |website=AVweb }} There were no fatalities, but occupants suffered burns and broken bones.{{Cite web |last=O'Laughlin |first=Frank |date=2021-09-09 |title=Officials: Plane with 7 people onboard crashes on Cape Cod |url=https://whdh.com/news/official-plane-with-6-passengers-onboard-crashes-on-cape-cod/ |access-date=2021-09-09 |website=WHDH-TV |language=}} The pilot told investigators that the aircraft was traveling faster than expected and the plane struck trees during an attempt for a go around.{{Cite web |last=Bragg |first=Mary Ann |date=2021-09-29 |title=NTSB: Plane that crashed in Provincetown was trying to take off but hit trees |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/provincetown-banner/2021/09/29/provincetown-cape-air-plane-crash-attempted-take-off-hit-trees/5900039001/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Wicked Local |language=}}{{Cite web |last1=Klein |first1=Asher |last2=Margain |first2=Oscar |date=2021-09-29 |title=New Details Released in Provincetown Small Plane Crash That Injured 7 |url=https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/new-details-released-in-provincetown-small-plane-crash-that-injured-7/2504275/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=NBC Boston |language=}}
• On September 17, 2024, a Cessna 402C headed to Bar Harbor went back to Boston Logan and landed on one wheel. The pilot and two passengers exited safely.{{Cite news |last=Tenser |first=Phil |date=17 September 2024 |title=Emergency landing in Boston: Cape Air flight landed with only one wheel down |url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/emergency-landing-in-boston-cape-air-flight-with-only-one-landing-gear-down/62246749 |access-date=18 September 2024 |work=WCVB}}{{Cite news |last=Dwyer |first=Dialynn |date=17 September 2024 |title=Cape Air plane with 'landing gear issue' lands safely at Boston Logan |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/09/17/watch-cape-air-plane-with-landing-gear-issue-lands-safely-at-boston-logan/ |access-date=18 September 2024 |work=bostoncom}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{commons category|Cape Air}}

• {{official website|https://www.capeair.com}}
• {{cite news |url= https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2008-04-17/colorful-cape-air-makes-its-money-where-sun-shines |title= Colorful Cape Air makes its money where the sun shines |author= Kirby J. Harrison |date= April 17, 2008 |work= AIN online}}

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