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Mesa Airlines is a US airline headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona which operates flights as Air Midwest, America West Express, Frontier JetExpress, United Airlines Express and US Airways Express. It also operates flights under its own name for flights originating from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the Albuquerque International Sunport.
Company overview
As of FY2003, Mesa Airlines operated 150 airplanes including Canadair regional jets, Beechcraft, and De Havilland Canada Dash 8 airplanes.
They are currently "code-share partners" with America West Airlines, US Airways, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Midwest Airlines. The agreements with these airlines allows Mesa planes to carry the logos and paint-scheme of the national carrier they operate for, and for passengers upon the express flights to earn mileage credits with the national carrier.
In FY2003, Mesa Airlines employed 3,600 employees and carried 6,444,459 passengers at an overall load of 63.2% total capacity. The air group's operating revenues totaled $600 million, an increase of $103.2 million from FY2002.
Company history
In 1982 Larry Risley founded Mesa Airlines in Farmington, New Mexico with the purchase of the company's first airplane. The company expanded and grew over the next fifteen years, eventually acquiring sufficient power and assets to acquire several competing regional air carriers. The following list details the acquisitions by year.
- 1990 - Aspen Airways (an operator for United Express)
- 1991 - Air Midwest (an operator for US Airways Express)
- 1993 - West Air (an operator for United Express)
- 1994 - Crown Airways
In 1997 and 1998, financial problems ended Mesa Airlines' partnership with United Airlines. The company's former CEO returned to Mesa Airlines to help the struggling carrier. Under his leadership, Mesa Airlines moved its headquarters from Farmington, NM to Phoenix, AZ. He also arranged a six-year deal for Mesa Airlines to operate flights as America West Express for America West Airlines. Again upon solid financial footing, Mesa Air Group has begun to seek expansion through acquisition of other regional carriers.
See also
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