Simmons Airlines of Marquette, Michigan, was contracted to fly Republic Express services out of the Detroit hub, as well as from Minneapolis into the Upper Peninsula. They also had a large operation out of Chicago O’Hare (and a bit out of Milwaukee) flying most of the third-level routes Republic had abandoned along both sides of Lake Michigan.
Service to some markets like Traverse City and Lansing, Michigan was lucrative enough that Simmons realized it needed larger equipment than its 18-passenger Embraer Bandeirantes and 36-passenger Shorts 360s to handle the passenger and freight demand, yet still work within slot controls at Chicago. 64-passenger NAMC YS-11 mainline turboprops were acquired and deployed, but the old airframes were complex and costly to maintain, and in practice had too much capacity to profitably operate across the system.
The new 42-passenger ATR high-wing turboprops just coming on the market offered Simmons the opportunity to simplify their fleet, letting the 360s take over the viable “Bandit” routes. The ATR’s pressurized cabin was a step up from the 360, as was its bigger luggage hold. Deliveries of the ATR started in 1987 and at least two examples were painted in Northwest Airlink colors. These aircraft concentrated on the Detroit operation, especially the trunk route to Traverse City and on to the Upper Peninsula.
However, later that year, AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, purchased Simmons to run its Eagle operation out of ORD. Northwest immediately cancelled its contract with Simmons and gave the Detroit hub to Mesaba. So this fleet type had possibly the shortest tenure of any in the Northwest Family.
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