Independence transformed itself from Atlantic Coast, a United Express feeder, into an innovative low cost carrier in June, 2004. The airline is unique on many fronts. Currently, it is the only LCC flying RJs, though Airbus A319s are on order to service West Coast and Florida cities. All flights are centered around Washington Dulles, giving DC its first homebased LCC. I have flown Independence numerous times, and apart from rather chaotic ground operations, have found it to be a very economical pleasant way to fly. Adding on high frequency flights and you have an airline poised for success. The big question hovering around the airline was "can an LCC make money flying RJs?" Jet Blue apparently thinks so as it also flies RJs, though ExpresJet also failed in 2008. An amusing part of the service is the celebrity in-flight announcements (much like an New York taxi) from stars such as Dennis Miller and Mary Matlin and James Carvelle. 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.