Air TransportAmerican Airlines acquires 20.8% stake in Republic after Mesa merger
American Airlines acquired a minority stake in Republic Airways Holdings at the closing of Republic’s merger with Mesa Airlines. The carrier received approximately 9.7 million shares in the new entity, representing about 20.8% ownership.
As part of the deal, American agreed not to sell its shares for at least 180 days following the transaction. The move brings American into Republic’s shareholder base alongside United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
United holds about 7.7 million shares in the merged company, while Delta owns roughly 6.7 million. Both carriers previously established minority interests in Republic prior to the Mesa transaction.
Republic and Mesa now operate the world’s largest fleet of Embraer E170 and E175 regional jets, totaling nearly 300 aircraft. The merged airline conducts over 1,300 daily departures across its network.
The reorganization of regional aviation in the US comes after the pandemic, when the operational performance of these companies was shaken by rising costs and labor shortages.
Their role as hub feeders for major US airlines led American, United, and Delta to launch aid plans to avoid disrupting their flight networks.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
