These new affiliations were part of a broader expansion scheme that included longer-range flying beyond the Northeast, enhanced mainline flight bank integration and operation of jet aircraft.

In 1992, the airline obtained five British Aerospace BAe 146-200 69-passenger regional jets from Discovery Airways and placed an order for twenty new Avro RJ70s in the same year which then began to be added to the fleet in 1993.

Although long-coveted, Business Express was unable to operate the BAe 146 on the lucrative Boston Logan-Washington National sector due to landing slot restrictions on four-engine aircraft, and a primary reason these units did not succeed as significant revenue generators for the airline.

In an effort to establish a larger regional identity, Business Express launched the 'Fly BEX Jets' program in 1994 on the Boston-Baltimore-Washington sector.

The carrier operated two daily nonstop flights in the marketplace with 70-passenger Avro RJ70 aircraft, but generated lower-than-anticipated passenger traffic, and suspended the service in January 1995.

Its severely weather-affected market in the Northeast, Canada, and Upper Midwest made Southern routes both attractive and potentially feasible.

Nevertheless, Business Express was unable to penetrate Southern vacation travel markets due to overlap with other Delta Connection carriers in Cincinnati and Atlanta.

BAe146-200s were replaced by five Avro RJ70s that operated primarily in the New York to Cleveland and Detroit markets, as well as between Boston and Baltimore, Norfolk, and Richmond.

Negotiated as a direct lease with Massport, these long-awaited facilities upgrades substantially increased gate and ramp space in the "C" concourse.

Enhancements included improved Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, new airside elevators, upgraded signage, and refurbishment of all passenger lounge areas.

All privately held Business Express stock was acquired by AMR Eagle Holding from several shareholders including the Philadelphia-based investment firm Dimeling, Schreiber & Park.

The agreement was a lucrative move for American Airlines which like AMR Eagle Holdings was also a subsidiary of AMR Corporation, by offering the mainline carrier prime gate opportunities and landing slots at Boston Logan, New York LaGuardia, and Washington National airports, plus acquisition of an outstanding order of Embraer ERJ 135 jets.

The airline held twenty firm orders and forty options for Embraer equipment with first deliveries scheduled in August 1999.