Combined regional carrier company will use Republic name
Republic Airways Holdings Inc. and Mesa Air Group, Inc. announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge and create a publicly traded regional airline company in an all-stock transaction. Upon closing, the combined company will be renamed Republic Airways Holdings Inc.
Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa’s CEO, said that “by bringing the best of our organizations together, we will create a regional carrier that continues to connect communities across America while providing advancement opportunities to our employees.”
Bryan Bedford, Republic’s CEO, said, “Republic and Mesa share a common mission to connect communities across America, and we believe that we can better achieve that mission together.” With this combination, he said, “we are establishing a single, well-capitalized, public company that will benefit from the deep expertise of Republic and Mesa associates, creating value for all stakeholders well into the future.”
Republic has a fleet of more than 240 Embraer 170/175 aircraft and carried approximately 17.5 million passengers on more than 300,000 flights in 2024. The airline primarily serves Northeast and Mid-Atlantic hubs and operates exclusively under long-term capacity purchase agreements with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
Mesa Air Group, Inc. is the holding company of Mesa Airlines, a regional air carrier providing scheduled passenger service to 89 cities in 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba and Mexico. Mesa operates a fleet of 60 Embraer 175 aircraft with more than 250 daily scheduled departures. Mesa operates all its flights as United Express.
