Mesa Airlines

Mesa Airlines is a U.S. regional airline headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Its roots date to 1982, when founder Larry Risley and his wife, Janie, began scheduled service between Farmington and Albuquerque, New Mexico, using a five-seat single-engine aircraft. The business began as Mesa Air Shuttle; the company says its name came from the mesa on which the Farmington airport sits. The airline provides regional air service on behalf of partner airlines. The company website describes Mesa as supplying the aircraft, crew, and maintenance while its partner sells the tickets. It identifies United Airlines as a partner and says Mesa operates flights under the United Express brand, connecting smaller airports with United hubs. The homepage describes a fleet of 60 Embraer 175 aircraft. These statements characterize Mesa as an operating airline and partner-service provider rather than a ticket-selling consumer airline brand alone. Mesa’s history includes fleet growth, acquisitions, and codeshare relationships with several U.S. airlines. Its website records an early codeshare with Midwest Express, a 1990 acquisition of Aspen Airways that brought a United Express codeshare, later links with America West and other carriers, and expansion through additional acquisitions. The company also highlights its maintenance workforce and aviation careers, including flight attendant, maintenance, and corporate roles. The company homepage states that Mesa Airlines has merged with Republic Airways and directs visitors to Republic Airways for updates about the combined company. It also describes Mesa’s United partnership and its work with United on investments in electric-aircraft companies Heart Aerospace and Archer Aviation. The available supplied material does not specify the merger’s effective date, the resulting legal ownership arrangements, or whether Mesa will continue operating as a distinct brand over time.

Mesa Airlines began in Farmington, New Mexico, where founder Larry Risley and his wife, Janie, saw an opportunity for regular commercial service between Farmington and Albuquerque. According to the company’s account, they mortgaged their home and car to buy a five-seat single-engine aircraft. In 1982, the airline began flying the route as Mesa Air Shuttle. The company says the Mesa name refers to the landform on which the Farmington airport sits, and that Air Shuttle remains the callsign pilots use to communicate with air traffic control. The company’s published chronology records several early steps in its growth. In 1984, it added its first twin-engine aircraft, a nine-passenger Piper Chieftain. In 1987, it adopted the Mesa Airlines name, became publicly listed, and had grown its fleet to 11 aircraft. It began a codeshare agreement with Midwest Express in 1989, operating a large network out of Milwaukee. In 1990, Mesa acquired Aspen Airways, which the company says provided a codeshare agreement with United Airlines for service as United Express. In 1991, it acquired Air Midwest, became the launch customer for the Beechcraft 1900D, and began service as Florida Gulf Airlines. In 1992, the airline entered a long-standing partnership with America West Airlines, which later continued with American Airlines, and acquired WestAir Commuter Airlines. It acquired Pittsburgh-based Crown Airways in 1994, further strengthening ties to US Airways. The company also records that it was named 1992 Air Transport World Regional Airline of the Year in 1993. Its chronology says Jonathan Ornstein returned to Mesa in 1998, but the supplied account ends before giving further detail for that year. The company’s current website describes Mesa as based in Phoenix, Arizona, operating 60 Embraer 175 aircraft and serving as a United Airlines partner under the United Express brand. Its stated operating model is to provide aircraft, crew, and maintenance while the partner sells tickets. It describes the service as connecting smaller airports to major hubs. Mesa also presents maintenance and technical operations as part of its airline operation and recruits for flight-attendant and corporate roles. The homepage states that Mesa Airlines has merged with Republic Airways and asks visitors to follow Republic Airways for updates about the combined company. It does not provide a merger date or detailed transaction terms in the supplied material. The homepage also describes collaboration with United on investment in electric-aircraft companies Heart Aerospace and Archer Aviation. These statements indicate the company’s current public positioning, but do not establish the future status of the Mesa name or the precise legal structure after the merger.

• 1998

  Jonathan Ornstein returned to Mesa

• 1994

  Acquired Crown Airways

• 1993

  Named regional airline of the year

• 1992

  America West partnership and WestAir acquisition

• 1991

  Acquired Air Midwest

• 1990

  Acquired Aspen Airways

• 1989

  Midwest Express codeshare begins

• 1987

  Renamed and went public

• 1984

  First twin-engine aircraft added

• 1982

  Mesa Air Shuttle begins scheduled service

• Merger with Republic Airways announced on company homepage

A regional airline and operating partner that provides aircraft, crews, and maintenance for partner-branded service.

• Regional passenger air service

  Mesa describes its role as providing regional air service and connecting smaller airports with airline-partner hubs.

• United Express-operated flights

  Mesa says it operates flights on behalf of United Airlines under the United Express brand, providing aircraft, crew, and maintenance while its partner sells tickets.

• 2021-02-10

  United partners with Archer and Mesa to operate planned eVTOL fleet[4]United与Archer及Mesa合作运营计划中的电动垂直起降机队zdnet.com

  Reported: 2021-02-11

  United said it would partner with Mesa Airlines to operate a planned 200-aircraft fleet of Archer electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, intended for passenger trips to and from United hub airports and urban commutes.

• 2019-12-03

  Mesa Airlines extends partnership with United Airlines[5]Mesa Airlines延长与United Airlines的合作aviationweek.com

  Reported: 2019-12-03

  Mesa Airlines announced an expansion of its partnership with United Airlines; the contract for 42 United-owned Embraer E175s in Mesa’s United Express fleet was set to be extended by five years.

1. 1Mesa Airlines - Start Your Climb®mesa-air.com
2. 2Our Story | Mesa Airlines - Start Your Climb®mesa-air.com
3. 3Corporate Careers | Mesa Airlines - Start Your Climb®mesa-air.com
4. 4United与Archer及Mesa合作运营计划中的电动垂直起降机队zdnet.com
5. 5Mesa Airlines延长与United Airlines的合作aviationweek.com
6. 6U.S. Regional Mesa Expands United Partnership As American Pulls Back | Aviation Weekaviationweek.com