CLEVELAND, Ohio, February 13th 2023 – CommuteAir, a leading regional airline and the sole Embraer ERJ145 operator for the United Express network, today shared an exciting announcement: René DeLange, Managing Director of Inflight & Customer Experience, has been selected to serve as one of only nineteen members of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Anti-Discrimination Subcommittee! The Anti-Discrimination Subcommittee will review airlines’ policies, procedures, and practices to prevent discrimination against air travelers based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Hailing from London, Ontario Canada and a lifelong member of the aviation industry – René got his start at Republic Airways as a Hub Operations Manager and has been a member of the CommuteAir team since 2008, first serving as the Director of Airport Operations for seven years, and then promoted to several management roles during his fifteen-year tenure. “I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Anti-Discrimination Subcommittee! Aviation professionals working together is the best way to provide strong guidance and recommendations on best industry practices to ensure no discrimination occurs against the travelling public,” said DeLange.
We’re looking forward to seeing René’s contributions in developing recommendations for the ACPAC on best practices relating to training and other actions that can be taken by DOT, airlines, and others to ensure nondiscriminatory delivery of airlines’ programs and activities to air travelers. The DOT announcement is below:
“February 2nd, 2023 – U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg today announced 19 members to serve on the Anti-Discrimination Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC). The Anti-Discrimination Subcommittee will review airlines’ policies, procedures, and practices to prevent discrimination against air travelers based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, ancestry, gender identity and sexual orientation. It will also provide recommendations to the ACPAC on best practices related to airline training programs and other practices or actions that can be taken by DOT, airlines, and others to prevent discrimination in air transportation. In selecting the Subcommittee members, the Secretary focused on ensuring the individuals: (1) represent a significant stakeholder group; (2) bring essential knowledge, expertise, or experience regarding discrimination matters; (3) comprise a balanced array of representative and expert stakeholders; and (4) are willing and able to attend meetings and contribute constructively to policy development. The Subcommittee members selected by the Secretary are identified here.”
About CommuteAir
CommuteAir is a regional airline operating flights on behalf of United Airlines as a United Express partner. With an operating fleet of more than 60 Embraer ERJ145 aircraft, CommuteAir operates up to 1,500 weekly flights – connecting people and communities to the world via United’s global network. Headquartered in Cleveland, CommuteAir has major hubs in Denver, Houston, and Washington Dulles. Additionally, the company operates maintenance hangars in Houston, Albany, NY, and Lincoln, Nebraska. Founded in 1989, CommuteAir is majority-owned by Champlain Enterprises, Inc. and 40% owned by United Airlines, Inc.
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