The Continental Trend
Another Houston airline flies away: ExpressJet headed to Atlanta
It looks like another Houston-based airline is leaving town via merger.
ExpressJet, the shuttle airline known predominantly for operating commuter flights for Continental Express and United Express, is being sold to SkyWest for $133 million, or $6.75 per share.
Per the deal, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2010, ExpressJet will merge with Atlantic Southeast Airlines and move corporate offices, but not operations staff, to Atlanta.
The move unifies the commuter flight partners of the new merged Continental and United Airlines. Continental headquarters is already moving to United's Chicago home and now ExpressJet's smaller headquarters is leaving too.
The loss leaves Houston without a hometown airline, though Continental/United and ExpressJet will still operate hubs here.
But hey, for a Texas airline, there's always Southwest.