Mesa Completes Recall of All Furloughed Employees
PHOENIX, August 12, 2002 - Mesa Air Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA -
news), today announced that it has completed the recall of employees
furloughed in the aftermath of the business downturn caused by the
terrorist attacks of September 11. The latest recall involved 44
pilots, part of the more than 700 employees originally furloughed in
the Company's swift reaction to these tragic events.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to recall these employees back
to work," said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa's Chief Executive
Officer. "With this action, we have now made employment
opportunities available to all of our workers furloughed last fall."
"Mesa was the first carrier in the industry to take the difficult
steps required to respond to both the steep decline in traffic and
revenue and the requirements of our partners, and we are now among
the first carriers to complete the recall process," said
Ornstein. "We feel it was our quick reaction at that time that has
enabled us to take this action today. Our action is a clear example
of the steps we've taken that have allowed us to maintain the
competitive cost structure that is the cornerstone of our growth
plans.
"We'd like to thank those employees impacted by our actions for their
understanding and patience and welcome them back to the Mesa family.
Given the thousands of airline employees still on furlough at other
airlines, we feel fortunate to be able to put this behind us," said
Ornstein.
Recall of employees on furlough began in late 2001. In addition, the
Company provided part-time employment in the administrative offices
to many of its furloughed employees. In one case, Company pilots
were utilized in the successful effort to win community support for
new Essential Air Service contracts, which have since been awarded to
Mesa.