The service was briefly operated as the Trump Shuttle from June 7, 1989, until the company defaulted on loans in September 1990.

Unable to sell the operation outright to Northwest Airlines, American Airlines, or USAir Group, the banks negotiated a complex marketing arrangement in which USAir Group would assume 40% ownership of Shuttle, Inc. and would manage the operation for ten years, including selling tickets, keeping financial records, advertising and marketing, aircraft maintenance, and labor relations.

However, the Northeast service of frequent shuttle flights and strategic marketing by way of the New "merged" US Airways under the US Airways Group, did continue to operate without being considered a separate division or subsidiary airline.

All planes on the shuttle routes had a single-class configuration until 2004 when first-class seats were added.

The US Airways Shuttle was operated by American Airlines utilizing its Airbus A319 and Embraer 190 aircraft.