October 1, 1992, Mesa Airlines enters into a code-sharing agreement with America West Airlines to create America West Express commuter service through the integration of routes from each carrier’s existing Phoenix operations. America West’s six de Havilland DHC-8-102s and a number of Mesa Beech 1900s are given over to the collective enterprise.
Also on this day, the major transfers its routes to Durango and Grand Junction, Colorado, and Yuma, Arizona, to the regional, which provides its own links from Farmington and Gallup, New Mexico. The America West route to Flagstaff is transferred on November 1 followed by the service to Palm Springs and Telluride on December 1. As the year ends, flights are also launched to the Arizona communities of Kingman, Prescott, Flagstaff, Fort Huachuca, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu.
A year later, on October 8, 1993, the code-sharing agreement is expanded and plans are made in November to initiate new commuter feed from America West’s Columbus hub at Milwaukee. These Beech 1900 services begin on December 15 to Rochester, Detroit, Lansing, Flint, Toledo, Dayton, Akron/Canton, Louisville, Rockford, Indianapolis, South Bend, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids.
In the spring of 1994, Mesa Airlines is reorganized into Mesa Air Group, with five operating divisions, including the new Mountain West Airlines (4). This turboprop unit is made up of Albuquerque-based Mesa Airlines’ 8 Beech 1900s, Phoenix and Columbus-hubbed America West Express’ 16 Beech 1900s and 3 Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias, and Los Angeles-based WestAir Commuter Airlines’ 27 Beech 1900s, 9 Brasilias, and 6 de Havilland Canada DHC-8s. Desert Sun Airlines (2) is also established to provide regional jet service from Phoenix to Spokane and Des Moines with Fokker 70s. Following the completion of negotiations between Mesa Air Group and America West Airlines, both of these new divisions will operate as America West Express (Mesa Air Group).
World History
