Pinnacle Airlines Supervisory Pilot Wing

Memphis, TN 1985-Current

The airline was established in February 1985 as Express Airlines I which began its first code sharing agreement with Republic Airlines in May 1985. Express Airlines I beginning service on June 1, 1985. On December 15, 1985, a second contract opened operations at a Republic Airlines home base at Minneapolis-St. Paul. By its first anniversary, Republic Express was operating 20 Jetstream 31s and seven Saab 340s in 32 markets. In Spring 1986, Northwest Airlines announced the acquisition of Republic, which was completed on October 1, 1986. On April 1, 1997, Express I became a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines. In order to consolidate the many Airlink systems operated at that time, Express I transferred flying at Minneapolis-St. Paul, allowing it to concentrate on the Memphis Hub. In August 1997, Express I moved its corporate headquarters to Memphis. Express I changed its name to Pinnacle Airlines on May 8, 2002. Northwest had allowed Pinnacle to seek flying from other carriers. On April 30, 2007, Pinnacle Airlines Corp. signed a 10 year contract with Delta Air Lines to be a Delta Connection carrier. Pinnacle filed for Chapter 11 on April 1, 2012. In January 2013, Pinnacle announced plans to move its headquarters from Memphis, TN to Minneapolis, MN by May 2013. Pinnacle flies out of five hubs, Detroit MI, Memphis TN, Minneapolis-St. Paul MN, New York, NY (JFK) and Atlanta GA. As of February, 2013, Pinnacle serves over 110 cities in 39 states and Canadian provinces. It operates well over 800 flights a day.