Envoy Air (MQ, Dallas/Fort Worth) has confirmed that it will end all E145 operations as it transitions to an E170/E175-only fleet.
The regional capacity provider owned by American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) continues to operate just six E145s amid a peak of at 118 aircraft between 2011 and 2015. The last flights of the type will take place on May 31, 2023. All remaining E145s are based out of Chicago O'Hare.
The E145's retirement marks the end of Envoy Air's fleet simplification process which will see it operate a single aircraft type for the first time in its history. The ch-aviation fleets history module shows that Envoy Air retired all of its Saab 340Bs as of 2008, followed by all ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops (ATR42-300s, ATR72-200s, and ATR72-500s) in 2013. Since then, it has been an all-jet operator, although still with a mixed fleet comprising various aircraft families. All E135s were retired in 2015, CRJ700s - in 2020, and E140s - in 2022.
As other types were gradually phased-out, Envoy Air started adding E175s in 2015, followed by its first E170 in 2021. Its fleet currently comprises sixteen E170s and 106 E175s.
The E170/E175s, by virtue of being younger and larger, will offer lower operating costs but higher passenger standards compared to the E145s.
Contrary to market trends, American Airlines continues to believe in the 50-seat market and has moved a number of ex-Envoy E145s to sister carrier Piedmont Airlines (PT, Salisbury, MD), which currently operates 67 of the type. The mainline carrier also recently reintroduced the CRJ200s operated by Air Wisconsin (ZW, Appleton Outgamie County Regional).
