Mesaba Airlines To Operate Crj900s

[AvroJockey]

"Mesaba Airlines announced today that it has started the Federal Aviation Administration process to begin operating 36 Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet(CRJ) 900s for Northwest Airlines. In a letter to the FAA, Northwest said as part of its planned purchase of Mesaba it intends to have Mesaba sublease and operate the CRJ900s. Mesaba expects the first CRJ900 to be delivered in May 2007. Approximately two aircraft each month are expected to be delivered through December 2008 when the 36th aircraft will be delivered."

Who didn't know this was coming?

Looks like the concessionary agreement will be a pay raise for those sticking it out!!! ($14.2M claim + fleet growth snapbacks = RAISE)

 

[JessMan]

Checked news releases for Mesaba, NWA, the FAA, and Bombardier. I couldn't find that stated anywhere...

 

[Smarta$$]

"Mesaba Airlines announced today that it has started the Federal Aviation Administration process to begin operating 36 Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet(CRJ) 900s for Northwest Airlines. In a letter to the FAA, Northwest said as part of its planned purchase of Mesaba it intends to have Mesaba sublease and operate the CRJ900s. Mesaba expects the first CRJ900 to be delivered in May 2007. Approximately two aircraft each month are expected to be delivered through December 2008 when the 36th aircraft will be delivered."

Who didn't know this was coming?

Looks like the concessionary agreement will be a pay raise for those sticking it out!!! ($14.2M claim + fleet growth snapbacks = RAISE)

Two things, congradulations to mesaba for some good news finally.

Second, where are those skywest toolbags that were saying that they had won the 900's.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

The question about the ERJ's is still up in the air, apparently the business plan for compass still isn't viable.

 

[flap operator]

Who's to say 36 or more options on the -900s aren't ordered and the 175s are converted to 195s to replace the DC9 and flown at mainline? Hmmm... I wonder if it was planned all along, especially since Compass so far has been a scare tactic and nothing more. Compass sort of goes away quietly, but remains available for punishment in the future.


FO

 

[Joe Patroni]

Here is the source!!!!!​

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YMESABA.COM​

NEWSLAUNCH​

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NEWSLAUNCH​

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ANUARY 2007 • SPECIAL EDITION • VOL 7•ISSUE 2​

MESABAAIRLINES​

Special Edition​

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Special Edition​

MESABAAIRLINES TO OPERATE CRJ900S AS PART OF
PLANNED NWA PURCHASE​

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esaba Airlines announced today that it has started the Federal Aviation
Administration process to begin operating 36 Bombardier Canadair
Regional Jet (CRJ) 900s for Northwest Airlines. In a letter to the FAA,
Northwest said as part of its planned purchase of Mesaba it intends to have
Mesaba sublease and operate the CRJ900s.
Mesaba expects the first CRJ900 to be delivered in May 2007.
Approximately two aircraft each month are expected to be delivered
through December 2008 when the 36th aircraft will be delivered.
These modern aircraft will offer Northwest Airlink customers a comfortable,
first-rate travel experience. The CRJ900 will be configured with 12 seats in
first class and 64 seats in coach class. The 12 first class seats, arranged in a one seat-aisle-two seats configuration, will have 36
inches of pitch, or space between rows. Coach class will be arranged in a two seats-aisle-two seats configuration.
This announcement follows the news that Mesaba and Northwest have signed a stock purchase and reorganization agreement under
which Mesaba would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines, subject to bankruptcy courts approvals as well as
other conditions of the agreements. That agreement secures Mesaba's core business of 49 Saab 340s with Northwest.
As the FAA approval process moves forward, Mesaba anticipates the need to recall a number of furloughed pilots and flight
attendants as well as hire additional mechanics to operate and service the new aircraft.​

MESSAGE FROM JOHN SPANJERS​

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ut of a company under severe stress just months ago, the people of Mesaba are about to embark on a
new chapter in our history. On January 22, we signed the stock purchase and reorganization
agreement with Northwest Airlines under which Mesaba will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Northwest. Today we began the FAA approval process to operate 36 new CRJ900 aircraft for Northwest.
First and foremost, I want to congratulate you on this news. Your role has been critical in securing this
new business. It's your commitment to excellence, your attention to safety and your focus on operational
performance - even during the most challenging times - that demonstrated to Northwest that we can
deliver consistent, cost-effective and high-quality service.
Secondly, I'm pleased that the planned addition of the CRJ900 allows Mesaba to plan to invite a number of our pilots and flight
attendants back to work. These individuals, along with every Mesaba employee, have made considerable sacrifices to ensure this
company's survival and I'm hopeful many of them will be in a position to return.
Third, I know there are a number of questions out there that we just don't have answers to at this point and I ask for your patience.
We will provide with information on what the new stock purchase and reorganization agreement and the additional planned jets
means to you as soon as we have it.
We face a number of adjustments ahead while - once again - taking on a new aircraft in a short period of time, but I have confidence
in our growing strength to confront them and to continue moving forward. Thank you.​

John Spanjers, President & COO​

 

[xjavro85]

There is no verification of this...state your source, not that I doubt that this is true.

OK nevermind, the newslaunch propaganda machine is up and running.

 

[DoinTime]

Who's to say 36 or more options on the -900s aren't ordered and the 175s are converted to 195s to replace the DC9 and flown at mainline? Hmmm... I wonder if it was planned all along, especially since Compass so far has been a scare tactic and nothing more. Compass sort of goes away quietly, but remains available for punishment in the future.


FO

Currently the upper cap on 76-seat aircraft at an affiliate carrier for NWA is 55.

 

[flap operator]

Ok, so 36 options can't happen... but you get my point right? XJ eventually operates the full complement of 76 seaters and Compass goes away. Or Xj and Pinnacle both operate the full complement of 76 seaters and NWA converts all the 175s to 195s for mainline. What was the point of operating two different fleet types of 76 a/c again?? Oh yea... there was none.


FO

 

[PCL_128]

Congratulations, guys. About time you got some good news.

:beer:

 

[YourPilotFriend]

No compass is still on the table, but all of its services look like they will be contracted by mesaba. i.e. maintenance, ground services, etc.

 

[PCL_128]

apparently the business plan for compass still isn't viable.

I could have told you that two years ago when it was still officially called "NewCo."

 

[flyslow24]

So how many pilots are at mesaba now?

Any furloughs out there coming back?

 

[redflyer65]

WOW. I never saw that coming. Good luck guys.

Next up, the Saabs will be transfered to Colgan to keep you under the snap backs. Spanjers may be gone soon, but he's legacy will unfortunately live on.

 

[DoinTime]

Ok, so 36 options can't happen... but you get my point right? XJ eventually operates the full complement of 76 seaters and Compass goes away. Or Xj and Pinnacle both operate the full complement of 76 seaters and NWA converts all the 175s to 195s for mainline. What was the point of operating two different fleet types of 76 a/c again?? Oh yea... there was none.


FO

Compass can't go away if NWA wants to operate more than the lower cap of 76-seaters. Mesaba in its anticipated form does not comply with the contractual definitions of "SJET" either.

I get your point though. Compass was a poorly conceived idea concocted by an overzealous management group and a labor group willing to gut the backbone of organized labor for their personal gain. We can only hope that it goes away as quickly as possible.

 

[flap operator]

But what if NWA doesn't want to operate more than 55, 76 seat jets? With mainline costs down, they can probably operate the 195 for very competitive per seat mile costs. With 55, 76 seat jets in all 3 hubs and perhaps on some point to point stuff combined with the 141, 50 seat a/c Pinnacle will operate and the 49 saabs, NWA will have a sizeable airlink network.

The 100 seat market cannot be served by a 76 seat a/c... so I think there is far more potential for the 100 seat a/c at mainline than 76 seaters in the Airlink network. The 76 seat a/c cannot replace a 100 seat a/c, but very competitive cost structured 100 seat operation can more than replace a 76 seat a/c and do it efficiently.

What do I know... just speculation. I do hope this means better times for XJ... better times that last more than 5 months.


FO

 

[IFIxUmUBrakeUm]

when NWA has mesaba how does this fit into the scope? we are now a nwa company, not a 3rd party. whats the cap for an nwa owned airlink? what about flow thru?

 

[MALSR]

Will those things even fit between the alley of A and B gates????

 

[Spinn555]

when NWA has mesaba how does this fit into the scope? we are now a nwa company, not a 3rd party. whats the cap for an nwa owned airlink? what about flow thru?

Something rings a bell here. Wasn't there language in the NWA contract that said something along the lines of 'except for replacements of the 36 AVRO aircraft.'

I could be wrong, but there is something near that in there.

 

[embdrvr]

I wonder what the pay will be. SkyWest set the bar pretty low by coming in below Mesa rates for their 900 pilots. How low can it go?