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???