Regional Elite Airline Services (formerly announced as Regional Handling Services), which began operations on September 27, 2009, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines that combined all airport ticket counter, gate, tower coordination, and ramp handling duties for Comair, Compass Airlines, and Mesaba Airlines. Its headquarters are in Delta Air Lines Building C on the property of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in Fort Snelling, an unincorporated area.
Additionally, Regional Elite serves as a ground handler for legacy carriers' regional brands, including Delta Connection, United Express, American Eagle, Frontier Airlines, Silver Airways, and US Airways Express.
The subsidiary includes over 4,500 workers at 94 airports, including three hub operations in Cincinnati, Detroit and Minneapolis.
On August 7, 2012, in a note from Senior Vice President Don Stephens, Regional Elite announced it would be ceasing all operations by the end of the year, citing increased overhead costs and the loss of numerous RFPs (station handling contracts). Employees were notified of their impending termination approximately 2 weeks later via regular mail. Many stations converted over to DAL Global Services, while some were lost to competing ground handler companies.
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