Regional carrier Big Sky faces shutdown

Regional carrier Big Sky Airlines said it will shut down its east coast operations effective January 7. The airline’s eastern operations began just last April; it serves as a Delta Connection partner mostly in and out of Boston, flying to smaller markets in the northeast with 19-seat Beechcraft turboprops. “The decision to cease operations was mutually agreed to by Big Sky and Delta,” the company said. “Customers holding reservations on flights scheduled after the cessation of operations will be contacted by Delta regarding accommodation options.” Big Sky is a subsidiary of MAIR Holdings, Inc., a holding company that used to own bankrupt Mesaba Airlines, which was transferred to Northwest Airlines; Mesaba is a Northwest Airlink code-share partner and regional feeder. Big Sky has reportedly been hit hard by a combination of bad weather, high fuel costs and low revenues. Big Sky, based in Billings, Mont., continues to serve 15 cities in the western U.S., where it has code-share partnerships with Northwest, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and US Airways. However, Big Sky president Fred deLeeuw told the trade journal Air Transport World that he expects the airline’s remaining operations “will be shut down at some point,” probably within two to three months.