Mesa Airlines Expands Fleet with Seven New CRJ900 Aircraft to Fly for American Airlines

Mesa Airlines, Inc. has been selected by American Airlines to operate seven new Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen aircraft for a 10-year term under the American Eagle brand. The aircraft, recently purchased by Mesa, will bring the total number of CRJ900s operated by the company to 64.

“As the CRJ900 launch customer in 2001 and one of the world’s largest CRJ900 operators, we are extremely pleased to add these brand new CRJ900 NextGen aircraft to our fleet,” said Mesa Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ornstein. “We are proud of our long-time partnership with American, spanning more than 20 years. We look forward to continuing to provide reliable and cost-effective regional jet service for American’s customers with the advanced technology and fuel efficiency provided by this aircraft.”

Mesa will take delivery of the additional aircraft from the Bombardier factory beginning in July, with all aircraft received by September 2015.

Mike Lotz, President and Chief Financial Officer, added, “We would also like to thank our 2,500 hard-working and dedicated employees for their contribution to our success. Working together, Mesa is once again one of the largest and fastest growing regional airlines in the world.”

Since March 2013, Mesa has grown significantly – doubling the size of the company, creating 900 new positions, and providing job security and enhanced opportunities for all its employees. During this time, Mesa added 19 CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet it operates for American and 19 new E175 aircraft for United. The addition of these seven aircraft and 11 new E175s scheduled for delivery will bring Mesa’s fleet total to 115 aircraft in 2015.

These seven modern and fuel-efficient CRJ900 NextGen Aircraft will be operated under the American Eagle brand. The CRJ900 NextGen features oversized overhead bins, all-leather seating and inflight Wi-Fi. The 76-seat jet features a two-class configuration with 12 First Class, 36 Main Cabin Extra and 28 Main Cabin seats.

Mesa’s crew bases are located in Phoenix, Dallas/Fort Worth, Charlotte (through May 2015), Houston and Washington Dulles, with maintenance bases in Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Louisville, Oklahoma City and Washington Dulles.