Tag Archives: Mokulele Airlines

Mesa sells off the Mokulele Hawaiian operation

Mesa Air Group (Phoenix) has sold its Mokulele Flight Services, Inc. (Mokulele Airlines) (Honolulu) inter-island Hawaiian turboprop service operating four, nine seat, Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to Transpac Aviation, Inc. (Scottsdale).

Mesa will continue to operate its jet inter-island service as go! Mokulele with Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets. Under the terms of the sale Transpac Aviation, operating as Mokulele Flight Services, Inc, will also continue to offer feeder service under the go! Mokulele brand and serve it’s current routes as a code-share partner with Mesa.

Copyright Photo: Ivan K. Nishimura. Bombardier CRJ200 N77278 (msn 7278) of Mesa Airlines taxies at the Honolulu base under the go! Mokulele brand. Mesa operates the main routes in Hawaii while Mokulele Airlines operates the smaller feeder routes also under the go! Mokulele brand.

Route Map:

go!/Mokulule Airlines to add Lana’i

go!/Mokulele Airlines (Honolulu) will begin service to Lana’i (LNY) from Honolulu which is advertising a $49 one-way fare to LNY. This is likely to spur a price war with Island Air.

Mesa Air Group files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization

Mesa Air Group (Phoenix) this morning (January 5) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and reorganization. Mesa requested and received court approval to continue to operate its 700 daily flights. Mesa Airlines operates under contract as a Delta Connection, United Express and US Airways Express carrier with 130 aircraft.

Press release:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Mesa-Air-Group-Commences-bw-3392665865.html?x=0&.v=1

The filing does not impact the new go! Mokulele joint venture.

Press release:

finance.yahoo.com/news/go-Mokulele-Not-Included-in-bw-1865095162.html?x=0&.v=1

Go! adds Mokulele titles to its CRJ200 fleet

Copyright Photo: Ivan K. Nishimura. Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) N77278 (msn 7278) is pictured at Honolulu in the more subdued 2008 livery with the new joint titles.

Go! (iflygo.com) (Mesa Air Group) (Honolulu) is adding Mokulele titles to its Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) fleet.

As previously reported, last month Mesa Air Group and Republic Airways Holdings merged their competing subsidiaries, go! and Mokulele Airlines into a joint venture called go! Mokulele. Mesa’s 50-seat CRJ200s continued to operate inter-island services, supplemented by Mokulele’s Cessna 208B Grand Caravan turboprop aircraft. Shuttle America’s Embraer ERJ 170s, operated on behalf of Mokulele Airlines, were removed from Hawaii service. Mesa maintains a 75 percent share in the joint venture, with Republic holding the remaining 25 percent.

Republic to pull ERJ 170s out of Hawaii

Copyright Photo: Sun Valley Aviation. Please click on photo for full view, information and other photos.

Republic Airways Holdings (Indianapolis) has answered our question of what they would do with the three Shuttle America (Indianapolis) Embraer ERJ 170s operating for subsidiary Mokulele Airlines in Hawaii. The holding company yesterday (October 13) announced that it had reached an agreement with Mesa Air Group (Phoenix) to form a joint venture (JV) to combine the jet routes currently flown by both Mesa (go!) and Republic (Mokulele). Under the agreement, Embraer ERJ 170 routes currently operated by Shuttle America (Republic Airways) will be transitioned to jet service provided by go! (Mesa Air Group). The three ERJ 170s will be returned to the mainland by November and will be operated in Republic Airways’ branded network (probably for either Frontier or Midwest).

Under the terms of the JV agreement, Mokulele shareholders will contribute their ownership of Mokulele to the JV and will own 25 percent of the new unnamed venture. Additionally, current Mokulele shareholders will be obligated to fund up to $1.5 million to capitalize the JV. Republic, which is the majority shareholder of Mokulele, will forgive Mokulele’s $3.1 million outstanding debt to Republic, net of surrendered aircraft deposits.

Here is the full press release from Republic Airways Holdings:

finance.yahoo.com/news/Republic-Airways-Forms-Joint-bw-794256419.html?x=0&.v=1

The press release by the Mesa Air Group states both the go! and Mokulele Airlines brands will continue under the JV. Therefore both airlines will continue to operate under their brands although it unclear what aircraft Mokulele Airlines will operate.

finance.yahoo.com/news/Mesa-Announces-Joint-Venture-prnews-1012591534.html?x=0&.v=1

What will Republic do with Mokulele?

News link:

www.starbulletin.com/business/

20090829_Mokulele_denies_analyst_report_that_it_may_close.html

Republic to operate two ERJ 190s for Midwest

Republic Airlines (2nd) (subsidiary of Republic Airways) (Indianapolis) will operate two longer-range 100-seat Embraer ERJ 190-100ARs as a Midwest Connect carrier starting in August. Republic already operates 12 smaller 76-seat Embraer ERJ 170 jets for Midwest Airlines (Milwaukee). The move is expected to permit Midwest to restore West Coast nonstop flying from MKE. Midwest is coming under increased competitive pressure from AirTran Airways and soon Southwest Airlines.

Meanwhile Republic is investing another $2 million in partner Mokulele Airlines. Republic has now invested $13 million in the Hawaiian inter-island carrier while it holds a deposit of $2 million.

Mokulele Airlines to start Honolulu-Hilo May 1

Mokulele Airlines (Kailua-Kona) will add the Honolulu-Hilo route on May 1. The new route will be operated by Shuttle America’s Embraer ERJ 170s.

Mesa Air Group ends Mokulele relationship

Island Air is the new partner for go! (Mesa Air Group). Island Air’s Bombardier DHC-8-103 N809WP (msn 32) stops at Kuanakakai on Molokai. Copyright Photo: Andy Jung.

Mesa Air Group (Phoenix) has elected to prematurely end its relationship with go!Express partner Mokulele Airlines (Kailua-Kona). Effective March 25, Mesa’s go! Hawaiian inter-island subsidiary will code share with Island Air (Honolulu) for feeder traffic. Republic Airways recently announced its intention to increase its share in Mokulele Airlines. The two parties are now squaring off as competitors.

Republic to become 50% owner of Mokulele

Please click on photo for full view and caption.

Republic Airways (Indianapolis) is moving ahead to be a 50 percent shareholder of Mokulele Airlines (Kailua-Kona) through a restructuring of the Hawaiian carrier. New management will also take over at Mokulele. Republic’s Shuttle America operates its ERJ 170s for Mokulele.

Here is the full story via KITV in Honolulu:

http://www.kitv.com/money/18971543/detail.html