Business Express Airlines

Business Express expanded its existing route structure into Canada in 1989 through the acquisition of Mall Airways, a commuter airline based in Albany, New York, with routes to Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. In the mid-1990s, the airline negotiated an unconventional second codeshare agreement with Northwest Airlines, becoming the Northwest Airlink regional affiliate in New England and Eastern Canada. In September 1997, the branding scheme expanded to include a third partner, American Airlines, affiliated first as American Connection, and later as an integral carrier under the American Eagle program. These new affiliations were part of a broader expansion scheme that included longer-range flying beyond the Northeast, enhanced mainline flight bank integration and operation of jet aircraft.

Piper PA-31 Navajo - Original Business Express fleet when the company was founded from Atlantic Air

Beechcraft Model 99 - Retired in 1986 shortly after Beech 1900 deliveries began.

Beechcraft 1900 - Two acquired in buy-out of Mall Airways in September 1989. (N15394 AND N15503) Numerous others operated, some acquired new, some used through the purchase of former Brockway aircraft

Short 360 - 4x 360-200 and 8x 360-300

Accidents and incidents

February 10, 1970: N124PM, a Turbo Prop De Havilland DHC-6, Twin Otter, went down in the Long Island Sound near Waterford, Connecticut, about two hours after it had departed from Trumbull Airport en route to JFK Airport. After Pilgrim Airlines Flight 203 was held in the New York area for an extended period, it diverted to Tweed New Haven Airport, where it attempted and missed an instrument landing approach. The aircraft was ditched in the Sound when it attempted to return to Trumbull Airport. All 5 people aboard the aircraft perished. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was fuel exhaustion and pilot error.

February 21, 1982 → Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458

January 13, 1984: Pilgrim Airlines Flight 35, N148PM a Fokker F27. While raising the gear after a runway 04L takeoff, from JFK, the no. 1 prop autofeathered. Power was reduced on the no. 1 engine but then the no. 2 engine experienced a power loss. The gear was extended again, but the aircraft contacted the runway before the gear extended fully. The aircraft skidded 1200 feet before coming to rest near the intersection of taxiway G and runway 04L, 104 feet right of the side of the runway.

December 28, 1991: N811BE a Beechcraft 1900 was lost near Block Island, RI during a nighttime training flight. The training officer (John E. Murphy) and two captain trainees (Michael "Mickey" Kane and Michael Lurie) were killed. While the NTSB Probable cause affixes the cause to errors on the part of the training officer, subsequent investigation by the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) opened the possibility of catastrophic airframe failure. ALPA petitioned the NTSB to reopen the investigation in 1997, but to this date, the Safety Board has failed to take action.

July 17, 1996: N832BE an AVRO 146-RJ70A touched down 2500 feet past the threshold and went off the end of the 7000-foot runway, coming to a halt 300 feet beyond. No injuries or fatalities.