FAIR VALUE DISCLOSURES (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) aircraft	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) aircraft	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) aircraft	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) aircraft	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Fair Value [Line Items]
Inventories	$ 124,358		$ 124,358		$ 142,503
Assets held for sale	37,635		37,635		43,783
Goodwill	18,793		18,793		29,990	$ 27,500
Impairment of inventories	0	$ 0	(7,572)	$ (5,439)
Impairment charges on aircraft held for sale	(200)	0	(11,360)	(22,031)
Goodwill impairment	(8,706)	0	(8,706)	(22,274)
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges	$ (8,906)	$ 0	$ (27,638)	$ (49,744)
Number of aircraft impaired | aircraft	1	0	13	11
Contingent consideration	$ 7,137		$ 7,137		29,522
Other liabilities and deferred credits	26,456		26,456		33,273
Contingent consideration- beginning balance			32,591
Change in fair value of contingent consideration			546
Payment of contingent consideration			(10,000)
Reclass of contingent consideration			(16,000)
Contingent consideration- ending balance	7,137		7,137		32,591
Carrying value of total debt	1,270,688		1,270,688		1,140,889
Fair value of total debt	1,210,458		1,210,458		1,016,413
Senior Notes | Senior Notes Due 2022
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	401,535		401,535		401,535
Fair value of total debt	341,305		341,305		277,059
Term Loan
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	314,747		314,747		335,665
Fair value of total debt	314,747		314,747		335,665
Term Loan Credit Facility
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	200,000		200,000		200,000
Fair value of total debt	200,000		200,000		200,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	190,000		190,000		144,000
Fair value of total debt	190,000		190,000		144,000
Secured debt
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	105,540		105,540		0
Fair value of total debt	105,540		105,540		0
Other debt | Aircraft Purchase Debt
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	9,300		9,300
Other debt | Airnorth
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	17,508		17,508		19,652
Fair value of total debt	17,508		17,508		19,652
Other debt | Eastern Airways
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	16,072		16,072		15,643
Fair value of total debt	16,072		16,072		15,643
Other debt | Other debt
Fair Value [Line Items]
Carrying value of total debt	25,286		25,286		24,394
Fair value of total debt	25,286		$ 25,286		$ 24,394
Cougar
Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value inputs, discount rate			4.00%		4.00%
Airnorth
Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value inputs, discount rate			2.00%		2.00%
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value [Line Items]
Rabbi Trust investments	2,601		$ 2,601		$ 2,990
Total assets recurring	2,601		2,601		2,990
Contingent consideration	7,137		7,137		29,522
Other liabilities and deferred credits					3,069
Total liabilities recurring	7,137		7,137		32,591
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Cougar
Fair Value [Line Items]
Total liabilities recurring					26,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Airnorth
Fair Value [Line Items]
Total liabilities recurring	7,100		7,100		6,600
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1
Fair Value [Line Items]
Rabbi Trust investments	2,601		2,601		2,990
Total assets recurring	2,601		2,601		2,990
Contingent consideration	0		0		0
Other liabilities and deferred credits					0
Total liabilities recurring	0		0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Fair Value [Line Items]
Rabbi Trust investments	0		0		0
Total assets recurring	0		0		0
Contingent consideration	0		0		0
Other liabilities and deferred credits					0
Total liabilities recurring	0		0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value [Line Items]
Rabbi Trust investments	0		0		0
Total assets recurring	0		0		0
Contingent consideration	7,137		7,137		29,522
Other liabilities and deferred credits					3,069
Total liabilities recurring	7,137		7,137		$ 32,591
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring
Fair Value [Line Items]
Inventories	46,654	$ 8,871	46,654	$ 8,871
Assets held for sale	37,635	52,916	37,635	52,916
Goodwill	18,793	52,530	18,793	52,530
Total assets non-recurring	103,082	114,317	103,082	114,317
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1
Fair Value [Line Items]
Inventories	0	0	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0	0
Total assets non-recurring	0	0	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Fair Value [Line Items]
Inventories	46,654	8,871	46,654	8,871
Assets held for sale	37,635	52,916	37,635	52,916
Goodwill	0	0	0	0
Total assets non-recurring	84,289	61,787	84,289	61,787
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value [Line Items]
Inventories	0	0	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0	0	0
Goodwill	18,793	52,530	18,793	52,530
Total assets non-recurring	$ 18,793	$ 52,530	$ 18,793	$ 52,530