Regional Airline Association

What Regional Airline Association does

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) is a private trade association headquartered at 50 F Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington, D.C., that serves as the unified advocacy voice for North American regional airlines. The organization represents approximately 16 member carriers — including SkyWest, Republic Airways, Envoy Air, PSA Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Endeavor Air, Piedmont Airlines, GoJet Airlines, Horizon Air, CommuteAir, Cape Air, Empire Air, and New England Airlines — collectively with associate members drawn from manufacturers and service providers. RAA's member airlines operate 32-35% of U.S. scheduled passenger flights, provide the only source of scheduled air service to 63-64% of U.S. airports, and serve 634 U.S. airports (426 exclusively), supporting 121 million air travelers and an estimated 1 million jobs tied to small community air service.

RAA's core products and services are non-software advocacy, member services, and industry resources rather than technology platforms. The portfolio includes the RAA Scholarship Foundation (a 501c3 established in 2019 awarding $16,000-$20,000 annually to aviation students), Pilot Training Resources, annual reports (2020-2025), the Members Portal, the annual Leaders Conference, and Summer Seminars. The association operates without proprietary AI/ML capabilities or software products; its competitive differentiation rests on institutional standing, member coverage, and policy expertise. Revenue is generated through membership dues (Airline Membership and Associate Membership tiers), event registration, and ancillary programs; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of member airline executives and led by President & CEO Faye Malarkey Black, with a senior team including Senior VP of Government & External Affairs Drew Jacoby Lemos, VP of Safety/Operations/Regulatory Affairs Erik Strickland, VP of Aviation Operations and Technical Services Bill Whyte, Communications Director Natasha Marquez, and Membership/Operations/Events Director Erin Gallalee.

Name

Regional Airline Association

Legal name

Regional Airline Association

Website

https://raa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Regional Airline Association is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing approximately 16 North American regional airlines that collectively operate roughly one-third of U.S. scheduled passenger flights and provide the only air service to nearly two-thirds of U.S. airports, delivering policy advocacy, safety initiatives, workforce development, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Trade Association

NAICS

Air Transportation (481)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Feeder & Hub-Connector Regional Airlines (THABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Essential Air Service (EAS) & Subsidized Regional Operators (THABACAC)

Keywords

• Regional airline advocacy
• Aviation trade association
• Airline industry representation
• Aviation safety advocacy
• Pilot workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Regional Airline Association is a North American trade association that delivers unified advocacy, regulatory representation, and member services on behalf of regional airlines and their supplier ecosystem. Its commercial offerings are tiered Airline and Associate Memberships that grant access to policy advocacy, industry events (Leaders Conference, Summer Seminars), the Members Portal, the Scholarship Foundation, and published industry research such as annual reports.

Product overview

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) is a trade association providing advocacy, member services, and industry resources for North American regional airlines. Rather than offering a unified software product, RAA's portfolio consists of advocacy programs (policy representation, Congressional testimony), member support services (Scholarship Foundation, Members Portal), knowledge resources (Annual Reports, Pilot Training Resources), and professional events (Leaders Conference, Summer Seminars). RAA does not offer a software platform or technical product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RAA Scholarship Foundation: A 501c3 charitable foundation established to support students pursuing aviation careers through financial scholarships.

Products and services

• Airline Membership Tiered paid membership for North American regional airlines, providing advocacy representation before Congress and the FAA, access to the Members Portal, eligibility for the Board of Directors, inclusion in industry networking events such as the Leaders Conference and Summer Seminars, and access to RAA research and member resources.
• Associate Membership Tiered paid membership for manufacturers, service providers, training organizations, and other companies that support the regional airline industry, providing engagement with regional airline decision-makers, regulatory intelligence, and visibility through RAA events and publications.
• Members Portal Exclusive online portal for RAA member airlines and associate companies to access membership resources, renewals, and billing information.
• RAA Leaders Conference Annual leadership conference bringing together regional airline executives and industry stakeholders for networking, policy discussions, and professional development.
• RAA Summer Seminars Summer educational seminars for RAA members featuring industry updates, regulatory discussions, and professional development sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• $134 billion in economic activity generated by air service to 570 small community airports
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Modern Skies CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Coalition of aviation stakeholders working together to shield the aviation ecosystem from government shutdowns. RAA joined the coalition in urging Congress to protect federal aviation workers and infrastructure, including air traffic controllers, technicians, safety inspectors, and TSA agents.
• Flight Education Access Act CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAA and industry stakeholders actively lobbying Congress to pass the Flight Education Access Act, which would raise the federal student loan cap for flight training programs to make pilot careers more accessible.
• Aviation Coalition (Safety)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of aviation organizations united in commitment to aviation safety following accidents. Includes 29 aviation groups including ALPA, A4A, NBAA, NATA, and others working together on safety initiatives.
• Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ACT ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiverse group of aviation safety and training experts including RAA, A4A, ALPA, CAPA, CAE, NACA, Flight Safety International, AFA-CWA and others working on pilot training recommendations.
• ATP Flight SchoolminorOthersTraining provider mentioned in pilot training cost discussions, charging up to $116,995 for accelerated programs. Not an official RAA partner but mentioned in industry context.
• Republic Airways LIFT AcademyminorOthersIn-house training academy offering pilot training at $90,000 with a $15,000 airline subsidy. Part of member airline workforce development initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Airlines for America (A4A): A4A is the principal U.S. trade association for major network carriers (American, Delta, United, etc.). It is directly comparable to RAA as a U.S. airline industry advocacy organization, but operates at a larger scale and focuses on legacy carriers rather than regional/commuter airlines.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA): IATA is the global trade association for airlines. It is a comparable peer at the industry-representation level, but covers all commercial carriers globally rather than specifically North American regional airlines. The 2026 ATN award to RAA reflects increasing visibility in this global arena.

Others

• Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA): ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world, representing pilots at many RAA member airlines. It is a peer as an aviation advocacy stakeholder, but with a labor focus rather than a corporate/operator focus; RAA works alongside ALPA in the 29-group Aviation Safety Coalition.
• Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA): ACI-NA represents airport operators in North America. It is a peer in the U.S. aviation policy ecosystem, often co-advocating on issues like FAA modernization and airport infrastructure funding that affect RAA's regional carrier members.
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA): NBAA represents business aviation (corporate flight departments, charter operators). Comparable as a U.S. aviation trade association working on similar policy themes (FAA reauthorization, pilot supply), but focused on business aviation rather than scheduled regional service.
• Aerospace Industries Association (AIA): AIA represents aerospace manufacturers and suppliers. It is a peer in the broader aviation advocacy ecosystem and a likely coalition partner, but its members sit on the supply side rather than the airline operator side that RAA represents.

Regional players

• European Regions Airline Association (ERA): ERA represents regional airlines in Europe and is the most direct international counterpart to RAA. Comparable structure (regional airline members, advocacy for connectivity, policy engagement on European aviation rules) but operating in a different geography.

Direct peers

• National Air Transportation Association (NATA): NATA represents aviation businesses including charter, FBO, and air-taxi operators. It is a direct peer in the U.S. aviation trade association space, often co-signing coalition letters with RAA on safety and infrastructure topics.
• National Air Carrier Association (NACA): NACA represents U.S. scheduled and charter air carriers, with significant overlap in mission around low-cost and regional air service advocacy. It is a peer trade association competing for influence over similar federal policy themes (EAS, pilot training, FAA reauthorization).
• CommuteAir: CommuteAir is a UH-NA member regional airline, operating Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft under United Express. While an airline rather than an association, it is one of the most visible direct members of RAA and represents the kind of regional/commuter carrier RAA exists to advocate for.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/raatweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@regionalairlineassociation7890?si=2deV30ViLNjV25G2
• Facebookfacebook.com/116594431714274
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regional-airline-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Regional Airline Association