Tag Archives: Mesaba Airlines

Delta to end service to Florence and Hilton Head Island

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is ending service from Atlanta to both Florence and Hilton head Island, both in South Carolina on November 1. The Mesaba Airlines SAAB 340Bs were operated on the two routes as Mesaba gradually withdraws the type from service and the ATL hub. Delta is also dropping service to Lynchburg, VA and London, ON.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Please click on the photo for additional details on the planned phase out of the SAAB 340B.

Pinnacle Airlines Corporation reports 2Q net income of $5.9 million

Pinnacle Airlines Corporation (Memphis), the holding compay for Pinnacle Airlines, Colgan Air and Mesaba Aviation (Mesaba Airlines), reported second quarter 2010 net income of $5.9 million and fully diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of $0.32, as compared to net income and EPS for the second quarter of 2009 of $7.3 million and $0.40, respectively, excluding prior year special items. The Company reported consolidated operating income of $19.8 million in the second quarter of 2010, a decrease of $3.9 million from the second quarter of 2009, excluding prior year special items. Among other items, the second quarter of 2010 was negatively affected by higher aviation insurance premiums that were the subject of a previously reported dispute with Delta and were not reimbursed totaling $1.7 million ($1.0 million net of related income taxes). The Company has resolved this dispute with Delta and does not expect to incur any additional future un-reimbursed aviation insurance premiums under its Delta Connection agreements. Second quarter 2010 pre-tax income was also reduced by a $1.5 million ($1.0 million net of related income taxes) adjustment to the fair value of interest rate options that the Company purchased to hedge interest rates in connection with the Company’s Q400 growth program.

The Company acquired Mesaba Aviation, Inc. from Delta Air Lines on July 1, 2010. Mesaba operates a fleet of 60 Canadair regional jet aircraft and 32 Saab 340B+ turbo-prop aircraft. With this acquisition, the Company’s consolidated fleet has grown from 190 regional aircraft to 282.

In late July, the Company took delivery of the first of 15 additional DHC-8-402 (Q400) regional aircraft to be operated by Colgan Air under the Company’s operating agreement with Continental Airlines. The Company expects to take delivery of seven additional Q400 aircraft in 2010, and seven Q400 aircraft in the first half of 2011.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Pinnacle Airlines’ (Delta Connection) Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) N8588D (msn 7588) arrives at the MSP hub.

Delta agrees to sell Mesaba Airlines to Pinnacle Airlines

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) today (July 1) also announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell is wholly owned regional airline subsidiary Mesaba Airlines (Mesaba Aviation) (Minneapolis/St. Paul) to Pinnacle Airlines Corporation (Pinnacle Airlines) (Memphis) for $62 million.

Mesaba, like Compass Airlines, will continue to serve Delta as a Delta Connection carrier with a long-term, extendable agreement, ranging from seven to 12 years depending on aircraft type. Compass will continue to be headquartered in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. SAAB 340B N453XJ (msn 453) of Mesaba arrives back at the Delta hub at MSP.

ExpressJet’s flight CO 2816 crew exonerated

ExpressJet Airlines (Continental Express) (Houston) and Continental Airlines (Houston) applauded the report by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on the widely-reported tarmac delay of flight CO 2816 at Rochester, MN. The flight crew repeatedly tried to deplane the passengers and crew but were denied access to a gate.

Press release:

finance.yahoo.com/news/ExpressJet-Responds-to-DOT-prnews-243971504.html?x=0&.v=1

Meanwhile Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is conducting an internal investigation with its Mesaba Airlines (Delta Connection) (Minneapolis/St. Paul) subsidiary which apparently refused to help its Continental Express rival.

Press release:

finance.yahoo.com/news/Delta-CEO-Richard-Anderson-prnews-2759305624.html?x=0&.v=1

Mesaba to start SAAB Atlanta operations March 2

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Please click on photo for full view and caption.

Please click on photo for full view and caption.

Mesaba Airlines (NWA Airlink) (Minneapolis/St. Paul) will start Delta Connection operations from Delta’s Atlanta hub on March 2. ย The first two aircraft will fly to Hilton Head Island and the Tri Cities, TN.