41.   The biggest threat to America West and other lower-cost airlines may be regional carriers, according to Boettcher.

42.   The carrier is teaming with an airline already in Germany, regional carrier Eurowings, to offer services on a route it could not afford to serve itself.

43.   The company operates as a regional carrier, feeding passengers to Northwest Airlines Corp. flights.

44.   The Digital One Rate plan, which is not available in the Bay Area, has been siphoning off customers from Bell Atlantic and other regional wireless carriers.

45.   The effort to recast the airline as a regional carrier faces challenges from its unions and from smaller rivals.

46.   The first holding company will be formed with the breakup of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. into two regional carriers and a long-distance phone service.

47.   The Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company uses mostly regional carriers for its deliveries and has taken steps to make up for its inability to use UPS.

48.   The reduction in service is expected to open niches for an ambitious regional carrier, WestJet Airlines of Calgary.

49.   The two offerings most tuned to companies and contractors are from regional carrier Southern LINC and nationwide Nextel.

50.   The trend is most pronounced at regional carriers like ASA, which constantly lose experienced pilots to major airlines that offer better pay and benefits.