Mesa 1900s no more?

[labbats]

Straight from USAToday... today.

Arizona city to lose only commerical airline​

Want to fly to Arizona's Lake Havasu City? You'll be out of luck, at least if you're hoping to travel after May 6. That's when regional giant Mesa Air –- a US Airways partner and Lake Havasu's sole commercial carrier -– will end its service to the city, The Associated Press reports. "It's really pretty simple. We just could not operate profitably," Mesa CEO Jonathan Ornstein says of the decision to end flights to Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport. Mesa flew to the city as a US Airways Express partner, offering flights to US Airways' hubs in Phoenix and Las Vegas using 19-seat Beechcraft aircraft.
Mesa is ending the service at least in part because it "is moving out of the Beechcraft 1900 business nationwide," according to Today's News Herald of Lake Havasu City. The paper adds that "using mostly federal dollars, Lake Havasu City did subsidize service in the past, said Stan Usinowicz, Community Services Department director. He did not know how long ago the assistance ended. Without those subsidies, there is 'no way to compete with the larger guys. You can't operate these small airlines into these rural communities,' Ornstein said."

 

[rtmcfi]

Straight from USAToday... today.

Without those subsidies, there is 'no way to compete with the larger guys. You can't operate these small airlines into these rural communities,' Ornstein said."​

JO is a piece of work. You already knew that. First the article states that there will be no more airline service to the airport. Then JO says that there is no way to compete with the larger guys. He was the larger guy. There was no competition!​

 

[cale42]

JO has wanted the 1900's gone for a long time.. never been a secret. They are currently aggresively cutting back the 1900 flying. Getting rid of non-profitable routes(read.. no EAS money, which includes Lake Havasu) and getting rid of some more planes(just sold 2) and pilots(stopped hiring, released 16 jet holdbacks).

No one is really sure if it will stabilize as a smaller supposedly more economically sound fleet or if the 1900 will finally be gone for good from mesa.

cale

 

[vectorvictor]

Its kinda sad in a way. The once workhorse of the EAS industry is becoming the red-headed step child that no one wants to operate anymore. Everyone who flew that plane hated it when they flew it and missed it when they moved on.

VV

 

[CFIse]

Its kinda sad in a way. The once workhorse of the EAS industry is becoming the red-headed step child that no one wants to operate anymore. Everyone who flew that plane hated it when they flew it and missed it when they moved on.

VV

And 6 months ago everybody was all excited about the resurgence of the turbo-prop. Who knew.....

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Truboprops have a delightful grittiness to them.

 

[XJohXJ]

Or, in Mesaba's case, turboprops have a gritty dirtiness to them.

And they're PINK!

 

[WSurf]

And 6 months ago everybody was all excited about the resurgence of the turbo-prop. Who knew.....

Well there's a big difference between the 1900D's and Dash's (and ATR's!! )

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

It wasn't so long ago that the Be-1900 C model was a serious step up, let alone the D. Heck, it was pressurized AND had a VCM.

Ever trip over the spar in a BE-99? Squeeze into a sewer pipe? Go for a ride in a batwing (Do-228) or roast on a summer day in a Bandit or a Twotter? They all make a 1900 look like a freekin' 787.

Nu

 

[pgcfii2002]

Does Mesa still fly to Kingman???

 

[Morettis]

Does Mesa still fly to Kingman???

When I was there about a year ago it was great lakes.

 

[acarpe3448]

The 1900D was a real small airplane, but what a workhorse. I have a lot of good memories of flying in the back of a Mesa 1900D from ABQ to my hometown Durango Colorado! Ok thats the only nice thing I can say about Mesa!

 

[ReverseSensing]

Truboprops have a delightful grittiness to them.

D@mn, that's funny!

And some are chock full 'o spit 'n' vinegar, too.

 

[pgcfii2002]

I just remember seeing a Mesa ticket counter in 2002 with 3-4 flights from IGM into PHX.

 

[CitationLover]

I just remember seeing a Mesa ticket counter in 2002 with 3-4 flights from IGM into PHX.

my first trip as a CA at AMW was thru Kingman. we had one pax going to PHX. after 10 minutes of waiting i asked what was taking so long. the gate agent/station manager/baggage loader said, "oh, they found a crack pipe on him. they've called the sheriff's office." we then proceeded to abort a takeoff in havasu due to "coyote" activity.

 

[Flyer1015]

I just flew on a flight into Kingman (Dec 2006), PHX-PRC-IGM and back, and it was all on a Great Lakes B1900D.

 

[Flight1339]

Yea Great Lakes picked up the EAS service to most of Arizona about a year ago and isn't doing much better. Passenger loads are real low (not necessarily a suprise) and there's no way to check bags all the way to your destination. But then again, thats the lowest common denominator after Mesa.

 

[jetdriven]

nothing like breaking through 10,000 feet and calling up center 4 miles off the departure end of the runway in the 1900D. or a 414 kt groundspeed check my avatar. the 1900 was not your father's beechcraft. I fly the CRJ now but i miss the mighty beech.

 

[Golden Falcon]

kinda miss bangin' around to great metropolitan centers like Winslow, Gallup (mmm the Ranch Kitchen) and all the other places....but alas I was not one of "Risley's raiders" I was the other mob in the lovely C-99...good old days...

 

[Trogdor]

Everyone who flew that plane hated it when they flew it and missed it when they moved on.

VV

I couldn't disagree more. Everyone who ever touches the 1900 loves it from the first second.