United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA have reached a new tentative agreement which includes a provision that could allow the carrier to acquire or set up its fully owned regional carrier, similarly to domestic rivals Delta Air Lines and American Airlines with Endeavor Air and Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, and PSA Airlines.

Local media reported that the agreement’s “scope” section indicates that United “may create or acquire a controlling interest in and control of a regional carrier conducting United Express flying.”

The flights of such carrier “may be staffed by flight attendants of such carriers, unless the flights are operated by United pilots covered by the United pilot agreement.”

The United Express brand is operated by a myriad of independent regional carriers: CommuteAir, GoJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, and SkyWest Airlines. While United invests in some of them, it does not own a majority position in any of them. It holds a 40% ownership stake in CommuteAir, and will have over 10% in the new Mesa and Republic Airways merged company.

ch-aviation reached out to United Airlines for comment on any plans to own a subsidiary carrier, but it was not immediately available.