PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mesa Air Group, Inc. is pleased to announce a new agreement with United Airlines that extends the term of its existing fleet of 20 Bombardier CRJ 700 aircraft to 2019 and adds 30 new United owned Embraer 175 aircraft.
Under the terms of this agreement Mesa will place the new Embraer 175 jets into service over the next two years. Mesa will hire approximately 350 pilots, 300 flight attendants, and 200 maintenance and other support personnel to support the additional aircraft.
“This is truly a great day for Mesa. We will continue to work hard to provide the best possible service to United’s customers,” said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa’s Chairman and CEO. “Mesa began operating under the United Express banner in 1992, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to expand our longstanding partnership. Our first codeshare agreement with United transformed our company, and I am sure this one will do the same. We are also very pleased to rejoin the Embraer family of operators and look forward to working with our many friends there as well.”
Paul Foley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said, “It has always been our goal to exceed the expectations of both our partners and customers. We believe this contract is evidence that our operational performance and industry leading cost structure have begun to pay big dividends for the company and our people. Based on data from the Department of Transportation, Mesa has been the number one performing regional airline for each of the last three years. We’d like to thank all of our people who have contributed to our success and enabled us to compete successfully for this new business.”
Mesa Airlines currently operates over 425 daily system departures to 82 cities, 32 states, Mexico and the District of Columbia, as United Express and US Airways Express under contractual agreements with United Airlines and US Airways, respectively, and independently in Hawaii as go! The airline, founded by Larry and Janie Risley in New Mexico in 1982, has approximately 2,000 employees.