Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American
regional airline based in
Phoenix,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. It is an
FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of
Mesa Air Group
Mesa Air Group, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation commercial aviation holding company with headquarters in Suite 700 at 410 North 44th Street in the Camelback East area of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The company operates one regional airlin ...
and operates flights as
American Eagle and
United Express via respective
code sharing agreements with
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
and
United Airlines. It serves more than 180 markets in the
Western Hemisphere. In a 1997 article from the ''Journal of Air Transportation'', Mesa's safety record was noted as having the fewest incidents among domestic regional airlines at that time.
Mesa filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2010, hoping to shed financial obligations for leases on airplanes it no longer needed and emerged from bankruptcy in March 2011. In November 2017, Mesa opened a new training center in Phoenix. The 23,000-square-foot facility features a full-size CRJ-200 cabin trainer aircraft, 14 classrooms, and has the capacity to train 300 crew members at one time.
On December 17, 2022, Mesa announced a wind down of its American Eagle flying effective April 2023. The schedule for Mesa will be greatly reduced by March 2023. American Airlines says Mesa’s reliability and financial difficulties are cause for concern. Mesa reported that the contract with American has resulted in massive losses, but that a new deal with United is in the works.
Operations
Mesa Airlines operates as:
*
American Eagle, the regional marketing brand of
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
. Mesa began flying routes as American Eagle in 2014 from American's hubs in
Dallas/Fort Worth and
Phoenix using
Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet aircraft.
*
United Express, a mainline airline marketing sub-brand using United Express liveried fleet of
Embraer 175
The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast narrow-body short- to medium-range twin-engine jet airliners designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer.
The E-Jet was designed as a complement to the preceding ...
aircraft under a revenue-guarantee code-sharing agreement. Its hubs are at
Houston Bush and
Washington Dulles
Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and Fa ...
. Effective early 2023, it is anticipated that Mesa CRJ-900s will operate for United Express.
Former airline divisions
*
Air Midwest (1991–2008)
* CalPac (California Pacific) (1993–1995)
* Desert Sun Airlines (1995–1996)
* FloridaGulf Airlines (1991–1997)
*
Go! (2005–2014)
* Liberty Express Airlines (1994–1997)
* Mountain West Airlines (1995–1996)
*
Skyway Airlines
Skyway Airlines was an American ramp and aircraft ground handling services and catering company based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Until April 5, 2008, it operated as a regional airline and banner carrier exclusively for Midwest Express Airlines (whic ...
(1989–1994)
* Superior Airlines (1994–1995)
History
Mesa began operations as Mesa Air Shuttle in Farmington, New Mexico, in 1980. From 1989 through 1998, Mesa Airlines operated as a conglomeration of up to eight separate airlines. For the history of the acquisition and expansion of Mesa Airlines during this time see
Mesa Air Group
Mesa Air Group, Inc. is a Nevada Corporation commercial aviation holding company with headquarters in Suite 700 at 410 North 44th Street in the Camelback East area of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The company operates one regional airlin ...
. The following history section details the history of the individual airlines that comprised Mesa Airlines during this time frame.
Mesa Airlines
The original Mesa Air Shuttle was a flight division of JB Aviation in
Farmington,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
, and operated a single route from Farmington to Albuquerque using a
Piper Saratoga
The Piper PA-32R is a six-seat, high-performance, single engined, all-metal, fixed-wing aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Florida. The design began life as the Piper Lance, a retractable-gear version of the Piper Cherokee Six. La ...
aircraft. In 1981 as the original
Frontier Airlines (1950-1986)
Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The c ...
was discontinuing its flights between the two cities, Mesa obtained a twin-engine
Piper Navajo Chieftain and increased service on the route. In 1982 the original owners sold the company to Larry and Janie Risley. The Risleys quickly expanded the carrier by acquiring a fleet of 14-passenger seat
Beechcraft 99 commuter turboprops and adding service throughout New Mexico and surrounding states with a hub at Albuquerque. In 1985 larger 19-passenger seat
Beechcraft 1900s were acquired which replaced the Beech 99's and became the backbone of Mesa's fleet. By 1987 up to 47 daily departures were operating from Albuquerque to 18 cities. Also in 1987, a Denver hub was created when Mesa acquired Centennial Airlines which operated several routes from Denver into
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...
. After an initial route from Farmington and Gallup to Phoenix began in 1985, Phoenix was expanded into a hub in 1989 with new routes throughout Arizona. In 1990, most Denver flights were incorporated into the
United Express division which Mesa had acquired from Aspen Airways. In 1992, when Mesa established a codeshare with
America West Airlines
America West Airlines was a major American airline, founded in 1981, with service commencing in 1983, and having reached US$1 billion in annual revenue in 1989, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of its acquisition of US Airways, Amer ...
, its Phoenix hub was turned over to the America West Express division. A minor hub was also operated at Farmington in the late 1980s with up to 22 daily flights connecting Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City to Durango, Cortez, and Telluride, CO. For a brief time in 1995 and 1996, the Mesa Airlines operation at Albuquerque, the United Express operation in Denver, and the America West Express operation in Phoenix were all known as operated by Mountain West Airlines. In 1997 and 1998, routes from Little Rock to Nashville and Wichita and from Nashville to Tupelo were added, first as Mesa Airlines, then later as
US Airways Express
US Airways Express was the brand name for the regional affiliate of US Airways, under which a number of individually owned commuter air carriers and regional airlines operate short and medium haul routes. This code sharing service was previously ...
.
In 1997, Mesa established a small hub at
Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, using two
Bombardier CRJ-200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 (previously Canadair CRJ100 and CRJ200) is a regional jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace between 1991 and 2006, the first of the Bombardier CRJ family.
The ''Canadair Regional Jet'' (CRJ) pro ...
regional jet aircraft, providing service from
Fort Worth to
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_ ...
,
Austin, and
Houston Hobby, as well as new routes from
Colorado Springs to
Nashville and
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_ ...
. The venture was short-lived and these routes were all eliminated during a corporate restructuring. The
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
hub was merged into Air Midwest in 2001 but operated as a codeshare for Mesa Airlines until the hub was dissolved at the end of 2007.
In 1998, Mesa moved its headquarters from Farmington, NM to Phoenix, AZ.
America West Express
In September 1992, Mesa negotiated a code-sharing agreement with America West Airlines to operate as America West Express out of its Phoenix hub, serving 12 cities. These routes were originally from the independent Mesa operation and several Beech 1900D aircraft were painted in the America West Airlines scheme. The codeshare allowed increased frequency and increased load factors and expansion into several new markets.
In 1995, Mesa created a new subdivision called Desert Sun Airlines and acquired a pair of
Fokker 70 jets for use on new America West Express routes from Phoenix to
Des Moines and
Spokane. Desert Sun was merged into the Mesa Airlines division in 1997 and its Fokker 70 aircraft were replaced by
Bombardier CRJ-200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 (previously Canadair CRJ100 and CRJ200) is a regional jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace between 1991 and 2006, the first of the Bombardier CRJ family.
The ''Canadair Regional Jet'' (CRJ) pro ...
regional jet aircraft. The CRJ-200 aircraft also began replacing the
Beechcraft 1900D and
Embraer EMB-120
The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop 30-passenger commuter airliner designed and manufactured by the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
The EMB 120 began development during 1974. While initially conceived as a modular series o ...
turboprops. The Beechcraft 1900Ds were then transitioned over to Mesa's Air Midwest subsidiary. Beginning in December 1997, Mesa began operating
Dash 8-200 aircraft between Phoenix and
Grand Junction followed by many other cities throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. In 2003, Mesa Airlines took over the operations of Freedom Airlines and Freedom Airlines'
CRJ-900 regional jets were transferred into the America West Express operation. The Beech 1900D flights operated by Air Midwest were discontinued on May 30, 2008.
On September 16, 2005, America West Airlines and
US Airways completed their merger. Although the corporate side and operationally, those companies merged, as of May 2008, the two flight operations have not been merged and Mesa continues to code share with the new US Airways Group as US Airways Express under its America West Express codeshare agreement. It operated CRJ-200 and CRJ-900 aircraft from hubs in Charlotte and Phoenix, and Dash 8 aircraft from its Phoenix hub until late 2011, when during Mesa's restructuring in bankruptcy, coinciding with United's cancelation of any further CRJ-200 service by Mesa, the CRJ-200s and Dash 8s were removed from service. By early 2012, the only airframe Mesa uses for the "west" side of US Airways out of its Phoenix hub and the "East" side out of its Charlotte hub is with the CRJ-900.
US Airways Express
In November 1997, Mesa negotiated a codeshare agreement to provide service to US Airways as US Airways Express for 14
regional jets to various cities from its
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
and Charlotte hubs. In 1998 and 2000, the agreement was expanded to 28 jets and then to 52 jets. The first CRJ-200 aircraft began operating in 1998. As Mesa began taking deliveries of the
Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft in 2000, the CRJs were transferred to the America West division, separating the fleet types.
In 2003, 20 CRJ-200 aircraft were reintroduced to the US Airways Express division. With the reintroduction of the CRJ, the CRJ-200 aircraft operated out of the Philadelphia hub, and the ERJ-145 aircraft operated out of the Charlotte hub.
In 2005, Mesa's codeshare agreement with US Airways was not reaffirmed in bankruptcy court, and Mesa began transitioning the aircraft to other codeshares. Twenty-six ERJ aircraft were transitioned to Freedom Airlines, and the CRJ and remaining ERJs were transferred to Mesa's United Express operation. However, following the America West Airlines merger later that year, the Mesa contract for America West Express was retained and expanded to include non-former America West Express routes. All US Airways Express flying was converted to American Eagle on October 17, 2015, when the merger between American and US Airways was completed.
American Eagle
As the merger process between
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
and
US Airways was progressing, Mesa Airlines began operating as
American Eagle on November 6, 2014, with routes out of the American Airlines hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles using CRJ-900 aircraft. US Airways Express routes from Charlotte and Phoenix were gradually shifted to American Eagle until the transition and merger was completed on October 17, 2015.
As of December 17, 2022, American Eagle announced that they will part ways with Mesa Airlines due to financial troubles. The final flight on the Bombardier CRJ-900 is to take place on April 3, 2023.
United Express
In 1990, Mesa acquired
Aspen Airways Denver hub and routes, except for Aspen's Denver to Aspen route. It attempted to acquire Aspen's codeshare with United. However United was unwilling to codeshare with an airline that only operated 19-seat turboprops. Mesa leased
Embraer EMB-120
The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop 30-passenger commuter airliner designed and manufactured by the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
The EMB 120 began development during 1974. While initially conceived as a modular series o ...
aircraft from its former competitor in New Mexico, Air Midwest. With the Brasilias in hand, Mesa gained a codeshare with United for its Denver hub. Several Beech 1300 and Beech 1900 aircraft were repainted with the United Airlines scheme.
In 1995, California Pacific and its Los Angeles hub were merged into Mesa's United Express operation. After the closing of Superior Airlines'
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
hub, its aircraft and crews were used to expand United Express into
Portland and
Seattle. In 1997, operational difficulties with the Denver hub and disagreements over the renewal of Mesa's WestAir subsidiary codeshare with United resulted in the cancellation of Mesa's codeshare.
In 2003, Mesa agreed to a service agreement with United for service out of their hubs at Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, and Washington-Dulles under the United Express banner. In October 2009 United decided to exercise its early termination option for the Dash 8 flying. The Dash 8 flying ended on April 30, 2010. Around the same time, United decided not to extend its CRJ200 operation and as a result, all of the Mesa CRJ200s (26 aircraft) flying under United Express were phased out by April 30, 2010. As of 2015, Mesa's United Express operations consisted of Embraer E175s flying out of the Houston hub and CRJ-700s flying out of the Washington–Dulles hub.
Skyway Airlines
The Skyway Airlines division was Mesa's first foray into the Midwest. Skyway was formed in 1989 when Mesa established a codeshare agreement with Midwest Express and a
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
hub. From Milwaukee, Mesa served 25 cities in nine states in the upper Midwest region, using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Upon the expiration of the codeshare in 1994, it was not renewed. Midwest Express kept the Skyway Airlines name and routes, forming Astral Airways to fill the void as Mesa ceased service in Milwaukee. Mesa reallocated the aircraft and crews to start Superior Airlines in its Columbus hub for America West Express.
FloridaGulf Airlines
The FloridaGulf Airlines division was formed in 1991 after Mesa's acquisition of Air Midwest. Air Midwest's
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
, Robert Priddy, was chosen to start up the operation. It operated under a codeshare agreement with USAir and was a USAir Express carrier. It started with a
Tampa hub, providing service to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
and the southeast United States using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Additional hubs in
Orlando and
were established. In 1993, the airline expanded into the Northeast, with a hub in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and eventually
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
. In 1994, six Embraer EMB 120 aircraft were added. By the time it was merged into Air Midwest, in 1997, it was operating 44 Beechcraft 1900D and 9 Embraer EMB-120 aircraft serving 49 destinations.
Superior Airlines
After Midwest Express notified Mesa they would not be renewing the contract to operate their Skyway Airlines division, Mesa allocated the aircraft and crews to form Superior Airlines in 1994. Superior initially competed against their former Midwest Express partner as America West Express and also provided service from the new America West Columbus hub. Superior operated America West Express flights to compete against their former partner from Milwaukee to Flint, Lansing, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids, as well as from Rockford to Detroit. Within 18 months Mesa redirected Superior and its Beech 1900D fleet to focus exclusively on the Columbus hub. By 2000 the aircraft and crews, which consisted of CRJ200s (CL-65s), were being operated by Mesa Airlines itself. America West Airlines closed its Columbus hub in 2003 and Mesa again reallocated the assets this time to its newly reacquired United Express operation.
CalPac (California Pacific)
Mesa created CalPac (California Pacific) in 1992, establishing a second United Express carrier with a
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
hub along with
WestAir
WestAir Commuter Airlines (IATA:OE, VB/ICAO WCA, SDU), was a U.S.-based regional airline formed when Stol Air Commuter changed its name in 1978 to WestAir Airlines; it was renamed WestAir Commuter Airlines in 1986. One of the founders was Mauri ...
. It utilized Beechcraft 1900D and Embraer EMB-120 aircraft to serve 12 destinations. In 1995, the airline division was merged into Mesa's United Express operation.
Liberty Express Airlines
In 1994, Mesa acquired
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
-based
Crown Airways. Using the acquired assets, Mesa established Liberty Express with its hub in Pittsburgh and a codeshare with US Airways. In 1997, it was merged into Air Midwest, operating 14 Beechcraft 1900D aircraft serving 17 destinations.
Desert Sun Airlines
The Desert Sun Airlines division was created in 1995 to inaugurate Mesa's first jet service utilizing
Fokker 70 aircraft. It operated as America West Express from a Phoenix hub. The first two cities to receive jet service were
Spokane and
Des Moines. In 1996, the division was merged into Mesa's America West Express operation, and the Fokker 70 aircraft were replaced by Bombardier CRJ aircraft as they were introduced. There was also a previous Desert Sun Airlines not affiliated with Mesa that operated scheduled passenger commuter service in southern California during the mid-1980s with
Beechcraft 99 turboprops and
Piper Chieftain
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also license-built in a number of Latin American countries. Tar ...
prop aircraft.
go!
In 2006, Mesa formed go! in the Hawaiian Islands, using five Bombardier CRJ aircraft from its Honolulu hub. It established a
code share
In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communica ...
with
Mokulele Airlines, which served airports that cannot accept jet aircraft and provide point-to-point service in between the islands with
Cessna Caravan
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna.
The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982.
The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargoma ...
turboprops. The codeshare with Mokulele was later replaced by one with
Island Air, which was itself later replaced by a joint venture with Mokulele dubbed
go! Mokulele
go! Mokulele was an American business marketing inter-island flights within the state of Hawaii. The airline was a joint venture between Mesa Airlines and Mokulele Flight Services formed in October 2009 when the companies merged their competing ...
. The airline ceased operations in Hawaii on April 1, 2014.
Mesa's go! was involved in multiple lawsuits with
Hawaiian Airlines and
Aloha Airlines
Aloha Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Honolulu International Airport (now Daniel K. Inouye International Airport). Operations began on July 26, 1946, and ceased operations on March 31 ...
and was also investigated by the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
for an incident on February 13, 2008, where both pilots fell asleep during a regularly scheduled 36-minute flight between Honolulu and
Hilo. go!'s flight 1002 overshot Hilo Airport by , remaining in the air as they missed the destination. Air traffic controllers were unable to reach the two pilots for 25 minutes, after which contact was re-established and the aircraft returned for a safe landing in Hilo.
Mesa's go! was also blamed for the March 31, 2008 shutdown of Aloha Airlines due to "predatory fares".
Kunpeng Airlines
Kunpeng Airlines was formed as a joint venture between Mesa Airlines and
Shenzhen Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines () is an airline headquartered in Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong. It has been a member of Star Alliance since 2012, and is currently one of two Chinese airlines that is part o ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. They began flying in October 2007 with three Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft and currently have five in China . The airline originally expected to operate 20 CRJs prior to the
2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
and plan to expand at a rate of 20 aircraft per year for the next 5 years. All pilots would have been based in Beijing or
Xian and the airline initially was to fly to 16 regional airports. Mesa intended to replace the outgoing CRJ-200s with larger regional jets such as the CRJ-700 and CRJ-900. Kunpeng has recently decided to delay the delivery of CRJ-200 in favor of brand new
Embraer E190. All of the Mesa aircraft are being returned.
Furthermore, as of June 2009, Mesa no longer has a financial interest in Kunpeng Airlines, as Shenzhen Airlines purchased Mesa's interest in the original joint venture .
Crew bases
* Cincinnati, OH (Boeing 737-400F/800F) – DHL Aviation
* Dallas/Fort Worth (CRJ-900) – American Eagle
* Houston-Intercontinental (E175) – United Express
* Louisville, KY (CRJ-900) – American Eagle
* Phoenix (CRJ-900) – American Eagle
* Washington-Dulles (E175) – United Express
Fleet
Current fleet
As of March 2022, the Mesa Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:
In March 2013, Mesa Airlines announced the leasing of nine Bombardier CRJ-900s, which were previously operated by Uruguay's
Pluna, for operations at US Airways. The aircraft entered the US Airways Express fleet between April and July 2013 and will operate under an eight-year capacity purchase agreement through 2021.
In September 2013, Mesa Airlines announced an agreement with United Airlines which extends the operation of 20 CRJ-700s through 2020. The agreement includes an order of 30 United-owned Embraer E175s that will be operated under contract by Mesa Airlines. Mesa Airlines later announced an agreement with United Airlines to add 18 Embraer E175 aircraft to Mesa's United Express fleet. Mesa will operate 48 Embraer aircraft for United Airlines. In October, the company announced an agreement for the addition of 15 new aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2016, which has now increased to 18. Mesa currently operates 76 E175 aircraft under the United Express brand.
Historical fleet
*
Beechcraft C99
*
Beechcraft 1300
*
Beechcraft 1900C
*
Beechcraft 1900D
*
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100
*
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-200
*
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300
* CATPASS 200, a
Beechcraft King Air 200
The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family; the "Super" designation was dropped in 1996. ...
with a modified 13-passenger cabin
*
Cessna 208 Caravan
*
Embraer EMB-120
The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop 30-passenger commuter airliner designed and manufactured by the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer.
The EMB 120 began development during 1974. While initially conceived as a modular series o ...
*
Embraer ERJ-145
*
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
*
Fokker 70 (only U.S. operator of the F70)
*
Piper Saratoga
The Piper PA-32R is a six-seat, high-performance, single engined, all-metal, fixed-wing aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Florida. The design began life as the Piper Lance, a retractable-gear version of the Piper Cherokee Six. La ...
– ''first aircraft type operated by the airline as Mesa Air Shuttle between Farmington, NM and Albuquerque in 1980''
*
Piper Chieftain
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also license-built in a number of Latin American countries. Tar ...
– ''second aircraft operated from 1981 through 1983. Briefly operated from Farmington to Denver, Durango, and Grand Junction, CO and to Vernal, UT''
Destinations
Mesa operates for
United Express and
American Eagle; below are the current United Express destinations – some routes may only be seasonal.
Past Destinations
Mesa's destinations as an independent carrier in the southwest (1980–2007) included the following:
* Albuquerque Hub
**
Alamogordo, NM
Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...
**
Angel Fire, NM
**
Carlsbad, NM
Carlsbad ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 32,238. Carlsbad is centered at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62/180 and 285, and is the principal city ...
**
Clovis, NM
Clovis is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico. The city had a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 census, and a 2019 estimated population of 38,319. Clovis is located in the New Mexico portion of the Llano Estacado, in the ...
**
Colorado Springs, CO
**
Durango, CO
Durango is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States Census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis Col ...
**
Farmington, NM
Farmington is a city in San Juan County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census the city had a total population of 46,624 people. Farmington (and surrounding San Juan County) makes up one of the four Metropolitan Statistical Area ...
**
Gallup, NM
**
Hobbs, NM
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 40,508 at the 2020 census, increasing from 34,122 in 2010.
Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of L ...
**
Las Cruces, NM
Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern Ne ...
**
Los Alamos, NM
Los Alamos is an census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, that is recognized as the development and creation place of the atomic bomb—the primary objective of the Manhattan Project by Los Alamos National Labor ...
**
Pueblo, CO
Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most popul ...
**
Roswell, NM
**
Ruidoso, NM
**
Santa Fe, NM
Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label= Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. The name “S ...
**
Silver City, NM
**
Taos, NM
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando C ...
**
Telluride, CO
Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains. The f ...
* Farmington, NM Hub
**
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
**
Cortez, CO
**
Denver, CO
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
**
Durango, CO
Durango is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States Census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis Col ...
**
Gallup, NM
**
Grand Junction, CO
Grand Junction is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 65,560 at the 2020 United States Census, making Grand Junction the 17th mo ...
**
Phoenix, AZ
**
Pueblo, CO
Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most popul ...
**
Salt Lake City, UT
**
Telluride, CO
Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains. The f ...
**
Vernal, UT
Vernal, the county seat and largest city in Uintah County is in northeastern Utah, approximately east of Salt Lake City and west of the Colorado border. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,089. The population has since grown t ...
* Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
**
Roswell, NM
* El Paso, TX
**
Alamogordo, NM
Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...
**
Ruidoso, NM
**
Tucson, AZ
* Lubbock, TX
**
Hobbs, NM
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 40,508 at the 2020 census, increasing from 34,122 in 2010.
Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of L ...
**
Roswell, NM
* Midland/Odessa, TX
**
Carlsbad, NM
Carlsbad ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 32,238. Carlsbad is centered at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62/180 and 285, and is the principal city ...
**
Hobbs, NM
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 40,508 at the 2020 census, increasing from 34,122 in 2010.
Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of L ...
**
Roswell, NM
Controversies
Flight attendants
In February 2012 the contract between
flight attendants and Mesa Airlines expired and became eligible for negotiation between the
Association of Flight Attendants
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (commonly known as AFA) is a union representing flight attendants in the United States. As of January 2018, AFA represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. Since 2004, AFA has been part of the Comm ...
(AFA) and Mesa.
Flight attendants have been at the core of Mesa's operations since its agreements were reached with US Airways and their United Express operation were reached and for years before. Throughout the years many of them became frustrated with stagnant wages and non-competitive retention offerings leading to its current contract negotiations which began in 2012.
After bankruptcy
Negotiations had stalled several times in the years following 2012 in mediation and talks directly with the company after the company had only offered negligible pay increases, unaffordable health insurance, and significantly fewer incentives for flight attendants with longevity compared to other
regional airlines.
In January 2017, contract negotiations in front of the
National Mediation Board again came to a halt. The
Association of Flight Attendants
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (commonly known as AFA) is a union representing flight attendants in the United States. As of January 2018, AFA represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. Since 2004, AFA has been part of the Comm ...
(AFA), after over five years of failed negotiations, announced that the members of the union would be coming together for a strike vote in order to either accelerate negotiations or begin using the AFA's patented method of striking – CHAOS – in order to interrupt operations with both
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
and
United Airlines in anticipation that the two legacy carriers will place pressure on Mesa to offer livable wages and individual benefits comparable to other airlines.
On March 29, 2017, the AFA released a statement saying that Mesa Airlines Flight Attendants voted "Yes" to a strike vote overwhelmingly by a vote of 99.56%, the highest "yes" vote in at least 20 years for the AFA, and potentially in the history of the union since its founding in 1945.
In response Mesa Airlines CEO Jonathan Ornstein stated "We're going to continue to negotiate on good faith and come to an agreement that the company can afford" and that it "takes reasonableness on both parties."
Heather Stevenson, union president for Mesa, said "We're out of options" as well as "Five years of 'Please' and 'Thank you' and 'Could you do better?' hasn't done anything." She also stated "...management can choose a different outcome by seriously negotiating a contract. Mesa Airlines is an important partner in the highly-profitable
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...
and
United Airlines networks."
"Mesa Flight Attendants will not accept poverty wages", said
Sara Nelson, international president of the
AFA-CWA. "Enough is enough. Mesa Flight Attendants have the full backing of the 50,000 members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. We are ready to do whatever it takes to achieve a fair contract."
Mesa Airlines and the AFA returned to the bargaining table during the week of April 3, 2017. While the strike vote had the intended effect, the company still offered a negligible pay increase that would keep flight attendants to what they have calculated as "Industry Average". However that number was only if both parties ignore all other regional competitors financial compensation that handle the same volume as Mesa.
On April 25, 2017, members of the AFA who were not employees of Mesa carried out informational protests in Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix to educate the public about the union's concerns such as low wages, poor health insurance, lack of progress on contract negotiations, as well as other actions of the company, and gain attention from American and United.
The AFA and Mesa Airlines met again during June 13–15 and again did not reach a resolution. The union stated "it soon became apparent the Company was not prepared to reach a deal and saw no point in bargaining until after they knew the outcome of the pilots' vote which will be counted on July 12."
The AFA and Mesa Airlines reached a Tentative Agreement on August 14 and included these changes:
* Wage scale exceeding the average for Flight Attendants doing regional flights for United and American.
* Increased per diem.
* Block or better.
* Line guarantee and increased minimum guarantee.
* Long layover credit.
* 200% junior assignment pay.
* PBS on trial basis, strong language.
* Increased vacation for longevity.
* Improved commuter clause.
* "Me too" with pilot 401k.
* Increased deadhead pay.
* Jetbridge trades.
* Paid KCM.
* Four year duration with continued wage increases beyond the amendable date.
Pilots
On March 2, 2017, the
Air Line Pilots Association, International union representing all of Mesa Airlines pilots filed a lawsuit after wages had stagnated and ceased to increase in any amount for almost ten years and the company had allegedly bypassed the
Railway Labor Act by implementing bonus and incentive programs without reaching an agreement beforehand with the ALPA.
The goal of the pilots is similar to the at-the-time objective of the flight attendants, which is to be paid a standard and comparable wage to other regional airlines that can substantiate necessities such as food and shelter.
Incidents
On June 29, 1990, flight 22, a Cessna 208 Caravan en route from El Paso, Texas, to Ruidoso, New Mexico, lost engine power and landed on New Mexico State Road 220 about four miles short of the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport. There were no injuries and the only visible damage was to the sheet metal on the right wingtip.
On October 16, 2001, an ERJ-145 was on final approach to Roanoke, Virginia. The captain had briefed a "no go-around" for a night visual approach to a "Special Airport". The approach was not stabilized, and the airspeed decreased to the point of a stall. The airplane struck the runway in a nose high pitch attitude, the aft fuselage struck the runway first then settled on the landing gear. The first officer made initial call-outs of slow airspeed and then stopped when the captain failed to respond to her callouts. After landing, the airplane was taxied to the gate where a post-flight inspection limited to the main landing gear did not find the damage to the tail section. The incident was not reported by either pilot to the company and the airplane was allowed to be flown by the next crew the following morning on its scheduled service back to Charlotte, North Carolina, where a post flight inspection revealed the tail strike. When interviewed, the captain first denied having been involved in a hard landing and speculated that the tail strike must have been the result of an over rotation on takeoff from the morning crew. When faced with the CVR and FDR data, she eventually admitted to the incident. She reported that she briefed "no go-around" because no takeoffs were authorized on the runway at night or in IMC conditions; however, the first officer knew this was incorrect, but did not challenge the captain. Both pilots had received CRM training, which included crew member assertiveness, methods of fostering crew input, and situational awareness, and training on special use airports; however it was not followed by either pilot. The captain said the first officer was passive and quiet. The first officer reported the captain was defensive and did not take criticism very well. It is remarkable that the damage to the tail section was not discovered during the
preflight visual inspection performed by the morning flight or ground crews. The aircraft had an MELed APU and needed the engines to be started with the assistance of an external air cart. The connection for the air cart is located at the aft bottom fuselage section where the damages were visible. The access panel was bent. Yet the ground crew did not notify the flight deck crew. When the walk-around visual inspection was performed by the morning crew's first officer, it was performed during the hours of darkness with the help of a flashlight. The air cart was already connected and forced the first officer to walk around the cart and away from the aircraft, missing the tail strike damages. Both crews were terminated from employment; however, the first officer of the accident flight and the captain of the morning flight were eventually reinstated with help of their union (ALPA). The accident captain was able to recover her certificates and privileges but was not reinstated. The first officer from the morning crew died from illness prior to being reinstated.
On February 13, 2008, the pilots of a go! CRJ-200 fell asleep and overshot their destination airport by before air traffic control was able to make contact with the aircraft. The incident happened on the third consecutive day during which the pilots had been required to start duty at 0540 am. The captain suffered from an undiagnosed severe sleep apnea. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident as follows: "The captain and first officer inadvertently falling asleep during the cruise phase of flight. Contributing to the incident were the captain's undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea and the flight crew's recent work schedules, which included several consecutive days of early-morning start times."
On September 29, 2015, American Airlines Flight 5786, which was operated by Mesa Airlines under the American Eagle brand, encountered a wing strike during landing on a day with calm winds. The plane landed and taxied to the gate without further incident. No injuries were reported.
See also
*
Air transportation in the United States
The United States has an extensive air transportation network. In 2013, there were 86 airports in the U.S. that annually handled over 1,000,000 passengers each
*
List of defunct airlines of the United States
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
*
{{United Express Carriers
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010
Regional airlines of the United States
Regional Airline Association members
Companies based in Phoenix, Arizona
Airlines established in 1979
Mesa Air Group
Airlines based in Arizona