Atlanta-based ExpressJet Airlines, once a major Delta Connection carrier, is being sold to a United Airlines joint venture.

Atlanta-based Delta announced last year that it would end its contract with ExpressJet in late 2018. ExpressJet operated its last Delta Connection flight Nov. 26. ExpressJet now operates flights for United Airlines as United Express and for American Airlines as American Eagle.

United joint venture ManaAir LLC is paying $70 million in cash to ExpressJet parent company SkyWest for most of ExpressJet’s assets, and is assuming the liabilities of ExpressJet. The deal is expected to close in early 2019, pending closing conditions.

The assets ManaAir doesn’t buy will be used or liquidated by SkyWest.

ExpressJet is the former Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a longtime Delta Connection carrier with headquarters in Atlanta.

ASA was founded as an independent airline in 1979 .

It became the first Delta Connection carrier in 1984, and was acquired by Delta in 1999.

Delta sold ASA to SkyWest in 2005, and in 2010 ASA acquired ExpressJet and merged under the name ExpressJet. American is set to end it’s contract with ExpressJet in 2019.

The shifts come as United, American and Delta shift toward closer relationships with select regional carriers that they control through ownership.

As part of the ManaAir transaction, SkyWest will still own aircraft used by ExpressJet, and has agreed to lease 20 more CRJ200s to ExpressJet for up to five years.