Newly formed Independence Air (an outgrowth of United Express carrier, ACA) and United Express share the A Gates at IAD. The A Gates are used specifically for regional operations with RJs and turboprops. Independence put special attention into these striking lounges at their Dulles hub. Independence announced it would shutdown on January 7, 2006 when it couldn't find a buyer. The challenging business model along with other prevailing factors in the industry led to the shutdown of this carrier which from a passenger's perspective was very, very good