MAG MEC News Release

	MESA AIR GROUP MEC AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL
TWO GATEWAY □ 432 NORTH 44TH STREET, SUITE 340 □ PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85005 602-306-1208 FAX 602-306-4119

PHOENIX—Mesa Air Group [NASDAQ: MESA] pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), began expedited negotiations with management this week to achieve a significantly improved contract that would attract and retain qualified professionals. Pilots of Mesa Air Group fly as Delta Connection, US Airways Express, United Express, go!, and Mesa Airlines.

Prior to beginning negotiations, pilot union leaders called on the carrier to address pilot staffing and morale issues that have reached critical levels and are negatively impacting Mesa operations. More than 500 pilots left Mesa last year alone, causing flight delays and cancellations. Many of those skilled professionals left to accept similar pilot positions at other “regional” airlines that offered higher pay, better benefits, and/or superior pilot work rules.

“Time is of the essence to turn around our operations, address pilots’ considerable concerns, and improve the level of service to passengers and codeshare partners,” said Captain Michael Jayson, a 14-year employee and chairman of the ALPA unit at Mesa. “After our first week of face-to-face negotiations, we are encouraged by management’s willingness to tackle the tough issues and make changes to significantly improve our contract so that our pilots will want to continue to fly for Mesa.”

“The Mesa pilots have the full support of our international union and the 60,000 members we represent,” said ALPA President Captain John Prater, who met with ALPA leaders this week in Phoenix to support the Mesa pilots’ negotiations and discuss bargaining and consolidation issues across the industry. “While we hope that management continues negotiating in good faith, we are fully prepared to use all legal avenues available to ensure that the pilots at Mesa are successful in achieving their goal of a significantly improved contract with better work rules, benefits, and pay.”

ALPA is the bargaining agent for the nearly 1,800 pilots at Mesa Air Group, which includes Mesa, Air Midwest and Freedom Airlines. ALPA represents 60,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.