Air Wisconsin to Furlough 252 Employees Amid Restructuring

Air Wisconsin has announced plans to furlough up to 252 employees as part of a major restructuring tied to its pending acquisition by Premier Shuttle Holdings. The regional airline, based in Appleton, Wisconsin, informed the state’s Department of Workforce Development that the furloughs will begin on October 28, 2025.

The affected employees include 102 management and 150 union-represented workers across Milwaukee General Mitchell Airport, Appleton County Regional Airport, and Air Wisconsin’s Milwaukee maintenance hangar. The company said the move is being made in compliance with federal and state WARN Act requirements as Premier seeks flexibility in aligning its workforce with future operations.

Premier Shuttle Holdings, an affiliate of Slate Aviation, recently signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire Air Wisconsin’s Part 121 airline assets. The deal is intended to expand Premier’s footprint into regional jet operations, including larger aircraft such as the Bombardier CRJ700 and Embraer E175.

Premier currently operates an all-business-class charter service on leisure routes in the eastern United States, connecting New York with destinations like South Florida. If the acquisition proceeds, Premier would take ownership of more than 60 CRJ200 aircraft from Air Wisconsin.

Parent company Harbor Diversified plans to retain and repurpose remaining assets for a new business focusing on aircraft, engine, and parts sales and leasing. The announcement marks another major shift for Air Wisconsin, which only recently ended its capacity purchase agreement with American Airlines and briefly operated in the Essential Air Service market.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com