Mesa Airlines
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| Mesa Airlines | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| IATA YV |
ICAO ASH |
Callsign AIR SHUTTLE |
| Founded | 1980[1] | |
| Commenced operations | October 12, 1980[1] | |
| Hubs | As US Airways Express: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport McCarran International Airport Charlotte/Douglas International Airport As United Express: Denver International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport As Delta Connection: Orlando International Airport |
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| Focus cities | As Delta Connection: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport As United Express: Chicago O'Hare International Airport Denver International Airport As US Airways Express: Kansas City International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport |
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| Fleet size | 199 | |
| Destinations | 165 | |
| Parent company | Mesa Air Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA) | |
| Headquarters | Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Key people | Jonathan G. Ornstein (CEO) | |
| Website: http://www.mesa-air.com | ||
Mesa Airlines, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA) is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is a 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. It was known briefly as Mountain West Airlines from 1995 to 1996. It operates flights as United Express, US Airways Express, Delta Connection (via Freedom Airlines), and under the brand go! for flights within the Hawaiian Islands. The brand Mesa Airlines is also used to market flights from Albuquerque and Dallas/Fort Worth that are operated by Air Midwest.[citation needed] It serves more than 180 markets in the Western Hemisphere.
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[edit] Airline operations
Mesa Airlines operates as [1]:
- US Airways Express is a mainline airline marketing sub-brand using a separately liveried fleet of Bombardier CRJ 200s, 900s, and De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft under a revenue-guarantee code sharing agreement. Its hubs are in Phoenix and Charlotte.
- United Express is a mainline airline marketing sub-brand using a separately liveried fleet of Bombardier CRJ 700, Bombardier CRJ 200, and the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft under a revenue-guarantee code sharing agreement. Its hubs are in Washington Dulles and Denver.
- go! is a brand using a separately liveried fleet of Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft from its hub in Honolulu.
Mesa Airlines is a brand used to market flights from Albuquerque and Dallas/Fort Worth that are operated by Air Midwest with a fleet of Beechcraft 1900s.
[edit] Former airline divisions
- CalPac (California Pacific) (1993-1995)
- Desert Sun Airlines (1995-1996)
- FloridaGulf Airlines (1991-1997)
- Liberty Express Airlines (1994-1997)
- Mountain West Airlines (1995-1996)
- Skyway Airlines (1989-1994)
- Superior Airlines (1994-1995)
[edit] History
- See also: Mesa Air Group#History
From 1989 to 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 frame see Mesa Air Group. The following history section details the history of the individual airlines that comprised Mesa Airlines during this time frame:
[edit] Mesa Airlines / Mountain West Airlines
Mesa Airlines was known briefly as Mountain West Airlines from 1995 to 1997. It has had up to four separate operations based on code share partners. As of October 2006, only its America West Express and United Express operations remain in service.[citation needed]
[edit] Independent
The original Mesa Airlines operation was founded by Larry and Jane Risley of Farmington, New Mexico, as the flight division of JB Aviation in 1980. In 1982, it began service as Mesa Air Shuttle. Over the next five years it established a presence in New Mexico and built its Albuquerque hub. It eventually expanded into a hub in Phoenix. In 1992, when Mesa established a code share with America West, its Phoenix hub was turned over to the America West Express division.
In 1997, Mesa established a hub at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, using two Bombardier CRJ aircraft, providing service from Fort Worth to San Antonio, Austin, Houston Hobby, and Colorado Springs. The venture was short-lived and the hub was eliminated during corporate restructuring. The Albuquerque hub was merged into Air Midwest.[citation needed]
[edit] America West Express
In September 1992, Mesa negotiated a code sharing agreement with America West to operate out of its Phoenix hub, serving 12 cities. These routes were originally from the independent Mesa operation. The code share allowed increased frequency and increased load factors and expansion into several new markets.
In 1997, Desert Sun Airlines was merged into this division and its Fokker F70s were replaced by Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft. The CRJ-200 aircraft also began replacing the Beechcraft 1900 as the 1900s were transitioned over to Mesa's Air Midwest subsidiary. Beginning in December 1997, Mesa began operating de Havilland Canada Dash 8-200 aircraft between Phoenix and Grand Junction. In 2003, Mesa Airlines took over the operations of Freedom Airlines and Freedom Airlines' CRJ-900s were transferred into the America West Express operation.
On September 16, 2005, America West and US Airways completed their merger. Although the 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 code share agreement. It operates CRJ-200 and CRJ-900 aircraft from hubs in Charlotte and Phoenix, and Dash-8 aircraft from its Phoenix hub.[citation needed]
[edit] US Airways Express
In November 1997, Mesa negotiated a code share agreement to provide service to US Airways as US Airways Express for 14 turbojets to various cities from its Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina 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 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 code share agreement with US Airways was not reaffirmed in bankruptcy court, and Mesa began transitioning the aircraft to other code shares. Twenty-six ERJ aircraft were transitioned to Freedom Airlines, and the CRJ and remaining ERJs were transferred to Mesa's United Express operation.[citation needed] 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.
Retirees:
Jim Townsend
[edit] 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 code share with United, however United was unwilling to code share with an airline that only operated 19-seat turboprops. Mesa leased Embraer-120 Brasilias from its former competitor in New Mexico, Air Midwest. With the Brasilias in hand, Mesa gained a code share with United for its Denver hub.
In 1995, California Pacific and its Los Angeles hub was merged into Mesa's United Express operation. After the closing of Superior Airlines Columbus 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 code share with United resulted in the cancellation of Mesa's code share.
In 2003, Mesa renegotiated a code share agreement with United with a hub in Denver. As of October 2006, Mesa operates CRJ-200 and CRJ-700 aircraft from its Chicago and Washington Dulles hubs, and Dash-8 aircraft from its Denver hub.[citation needed]
[edit] Skyway Airlines
The Skyway Airlines division was Mesa's first foray into the Midwest. Skyway was formed in 1989 when Mesa established a code share agreement with Midwest Express and a Milwaukee hub. From Milwaukee, Mesa served 25 cities in nine states in the upper Midwest region, using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Upon expiration of the code share 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, Ohio hub for America West Express.[citation needed]
[edit] FloridaGulf Airlines
The FloridaGulf Airlines division was formed in 1991 after Mesa's acquisition of Air Midwest. Air Midwest's CEO, Robert Priddy, was chosen to start up the operation. It operated under a code share agreement with USAir and was a USAir Express carrier. It started with a Tampa hub, providing service to Florida and the southeast United States using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Additional hubs in Orlando and New Orleans were established. In 1993, the airline expanded into the Northeast, with a hub in Boston and eventually Philadelphia. In 1994, six Embraer-120 Braslia aircraft were added. By the time it was merged into Air Midwest, in 1997, it was operating 44 Beechcraft 1900 and 9 Embraer-120 aircraft serving 49 destinations.[citation needed]
[edit] Superior Airlines
After the Skyway Airlines division ceased operation, Mesa allocated the aircraft and crews and formed Superior Airlines in 1994 to provide service from a Columbus, Ohio hub for America West Express. By 2000 the aircraft and crews, which consisted of CRJ-200s (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.
[edit] CalPac (California Pacific)
Mesa created CalPac (California Pacific) in 1993, establishing a United Express carrier with a Los Angeles hub. It utilized Beechcraft 1900 and Embraer-120 aircraft to serve 12 destinations. In 1995, the airline division was merged into Mesa's United Express operation.
[edit] Liberty Express Airlines
In 1994, Mesa acquired Pittsburgh-based Crown Airways. Using the assets from Crown Airways, Mesa established Liberty Express with its hub in Pittsburgh and a code share with USAir. In 1997, it was merged into Air Midwest, operating 14 Beechcraft 1900 aircraft serving 17 destinations.
[edit] Desert Sun Airlines
The Desert Sun Airlines division was created in 1995 to inaugurate Mesa's first jet service utilizing Fokker F-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 F-70 aircraft were replaced by Bombardier CRJ aircraft as they were introduced.
[edit] go!
In 2006, Mesa formed Go! in the Hawaiian islands, using five Bombardier CRJ aircraft from its Honolulu hub. It established a code share with Mokulele Airlines, which will serve airports that cannot accept jet aircraft and provide point-to-point service in between the islands.
[edit] Kunpeng Airlines
Kunpeng Airlines was formed as a joint venture between Mesa Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines of China. They began flying in October 2007 with 3 CRJ-200 aircraft and currently has 5 in China. The airline originally expects to operate 20 CRJ's prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and plan to expand at a rate of 20 aircraft per year for the next 5 years. All pilots will be based in Beijing or Xian and the airline will initially fly to 16 regional airports. Mesa will be replacing the CRJ-200s going to Kunpeng with larger regional jets such as the CRJ-700 and 900. Kunpeng has recently decided to delay delivery of CRJ 200 in favour of brand new Embraer 190.
[edit] Crew Bases
- Charlotte, North Carolina (CRJ-900) - US Airways Express
- Chicago, Illinois (CRJ-200/700) - United Express
- Denver, Colorado (DHC-8-Q200) - United Express
- Grand Junction, Colorado (DHC-8-Q200) - United Express
- Honolulu, Hawaii (CRJ-200) - Go!
- Kahului, Hawaii (CRJ-200) - Go!
- Kona, Hawaii (CRJ-200) - Go!
- Lihue, Hawaii (CRJ-200) - Go!
- New York JFK, New York (ERJ-145/CRJ-900) - Delta Connection
- Orlando, Florida (ERJ-145) - Delta Connection
- Phoenix, Arizona (DHC-8-200/Q200), CRJ-200/900) - US Airways Express
- Washington Dulles International, Virginia (CRJ-200/700) - United Express
[edit] Fleet
As of May 2008 the Mesa Air Group fleet includes: (187 Aircraft)
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Subsidiary |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRJ-900 | 44 (7 orders) (112 options) |
86 or 76 with first class cabin (Delta Connection) | Mesa Airlines, Freedom Airlines |
| CRJ-700ER | 20 (112 options) |
66 | Mesa Airlines |
| CRJ-100/200 | 51 | 50 | Go!, Mesa Airlines |
| Dash-8-200 | 16 | 37 | Mesa Airlines |
| Embraer ERJ-145LR | 36 (64 options) |
50 | Freedom Airlines |
| Be-1900D | 20 | 19 | Air Midwest |
[edit] Incidents
On January 25, 2007, a Mesa Airlines CRJ-200LR with registration N17337 and operating as US Airways Express (in America West Express colors) flight 2985 from Denver International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport experienced an uncontained failure of its port engine approximate 50 nm (100 km) from Denver. The flight crew declared an emergency and were able to return to Denver without injury to passengers or crew. The incident is the first of its kind for the General Electric CF34-3B1 engine used on the CRJ.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Norwood, Tom; Wegg, John (2002). North American Airlines Handbook, 3rd, Sandpoint, ID: Airways International. ISBN 0-9653993-8-9.
- ^ Croft, John. "Picture: NTSB investigating first uncontained engine failure of GE CF34-3B1 on Mesa Airlines CRJ200LR Thursday", Flightglobal.com, 2007-01-29. Retrieved on 2007-01-30.
- Graham, Rex (03-01-1987). "And the Winner Is ....". New Mexico Business Journal 11 (3): 17.
- various (various). "Mesa Airlines Company Reports 1991-1993" (PDF). . The Investext Group Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
- Mesa Air Group (various). "1995-2005 Annual Reports". Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
[edit] External links
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