PAUL LEWIS / PHOENIX
Mesa Air says it can make 15 50-seat regional jets available to its US Airways Express operation, following the latter's scope clause deal with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) allowing it to operate a further 70 regional jets. Mesa intends to continue introducing larger Bombardier CRJ700/900s with its other major partner America West despite ALPA's objections.
"If they decide to put all 70 aircraft into [wholly owned] US Airways [regionals], it will take them years. We could probably make 15 aircraft available almost immediately, and from a logistical standpoint, there are benefits in getting it done sooner not later," says Mesa chief executive Jonathan Ornstein.
Mesa operates 32 50-seat aircraft for US Airways Express, and is due to add four Embraer ERJ-145s. The additional 15 aircraft would probably be a mix of ERJ-145s and Bombardier CRJ200s, which Ornstein would like to place with Mesa's Charlotte-based US Airways Express carrier CC Air. Pilots at CCAir recently agreed a new contract to allow this, ending a dispute that threatened to close the loss-making carrier.
The delivery from June of 20 CRJ700s will release some of Mesa's 22 CRJ200s at America West Express for either US Airways Express or its Frontier JetExpress operation. The new 70-seaters, along with 20 86-seat CRJ900s due for delivery from next April, will operate under the Freedom Air name to circumvent a scope clause preventing partner carriers such as Mesa operating 70-seat or larger aircraft. ALPA wants to stop the move by retroactively putting in place scope clause restrictions at America West.
Source: Flight International
