Mesa Air Group is to operate regional jets on behalf of US low-fares carrier Frontier Airlines. Under the five-year codeshare agreement, Mesa will base up to five 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200s at Frontier's Denver, Colorado, hub, where they will be operated as Frontier JetExpress. Services are scheduled to begin early next year.
Frontier plans to use the regional jets to provide service to new destinations as well as increasing frequency on existing routes. It already has a codeshare agreement with Great Lakes Aviation, which operates 19-seat turboprop services to seven cities on behalf of Frontier.
Under the Mesa agreement, the carriers will share revenues generated by each flight. Mesa says the aircraft will be drawn from its existing fleet, which it operates on behalf of America West and US Airways. They will be replaced by some of the seven new CRJ200s the company is committed to acquiring.
Phoenix, Arizona-based Mesa has been looking to add regional codeshare partners. In addition to operating as America West Express and US Airways Express, the company provides a limited turboprop service out of Kansas City on behalf of Midwest Express.
Source: Flight International
