Mesa
A Mesa E175 at Washington Dulles International Airport during early morning. Photo: F/O Austin Beatty (Mesa)
At A Glance
Pilots joined ALPA: 1987
Number of pilots/flightcrew members: 600
Pilot bases: Houston, Tex.; Louisville, Ky.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Dulles, Va.
Headquarters: Phoenix, Ariz.
Operations: Mesa operates as United Express to destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas.
Fleet: 6 CRJ900s and 60 E175s
Mesa Airlines pilots, seeking to improve working conditions negotiated under a contract that became amendable in July 2021, resumed Section 6 negotiations with their company last year. After a failed tentative agreement in 2022, the pilots shifted their focus to enhancing compensation and reached a letter of agreement with management securing significant pay raises that addressed postpandemic attrition and helped attract experienced aviators.
Despite these gains, challenges remain. Fifty-three pilots were furloughed in July 2024, with a recall initially expected in November but now on hold. Mesa’s transition to a single aircraft type, the Embraer E175, will lead to the complete phaseout of the CRJ900 by February 2025. This shift resulted in the closure of the Dallas/Fort Worth, Tex., crew base and the possible closure of the Phoenix, Ariz., base in 2025.
In addition, the Master Executive Council (MEC) is experiencing a transition in its Negotiating Committee, with members departing for United Airlines through Aviate, a United flow program. The MEC appointed a new committee chair in October, and talks with management now occur twice a month.
Looming over these developments is Mesa’s substantial debt related to a CARES Act loan. As of Oct. 28, 2024, the airline owed $122.155 million, with the balance due in October 2025. This financial obligation adds another layer of uncertainty to ongoing pilot negotiations and the future of Mesa Airlines.
