Trans States Holdings president and COO Rick Leach has seen his company through rough patches in the past, and he has helped the RAA tackle “challenges” of many sorts from his position as an association board member. But as this year’s RAA chairman, Leach finds himself presented with a rare opportunity–a chance make a tangible difference during a time of genuine economic upheaval.
“I think in this environment, really the role of the RAA is just focusing on issues of survival,” he said. “And that’s what we’re all doing–maintaining sound safety, operational and financial performance, and making good, sound decisions that affect safety and service…I think a lot of what RAA is trying to do is manage the chaos.”
Unfortunately, the evolving nature of the relationship between regional airlines and their mainline partners hasn’t made things any less chaotic. Increasingly, as the economy has deteriorated and passenger counts dwindled, some major airlines have tended to view their regional affiliates more like vendors than full partners in the business. For the regionals, that means less say in strategy, and therefore less control over their own fates.
