Mesa Air completes E175 transition and moves forward with Republic Airways merger

Mesa Air carrier has fully transitioned to Embraer E175 regional jets, officially retiring its CRJ900 operation. CEO Jonathan Ornstein said the last CRJ crews completed E-Jet training and will support revenue flying by the end of August.

The shift follows an October 2024 request from partner United Airlines to standardize on the E175 by March. In all, 160 pilots were trained on the type.

According to Aviation Week, Mesa now has 57 E175s in service (three inactive) and 25 CRJ900s in storage pending sale.

For the third quarter, Mesa posted an adjusted net loss of $600,000; Ornstein noted the company would have been profitable absent continuing CRJ aircraft and engine costs tied to assets agreed for sale but not yet closed.

Looking ahead, the planned merger with Republic Airways Holdings, announced in April and expected to close by year-end, would create a regional “powerhouse” with over 300 E170/E175s.

Republic anticipates nine E175 deliveries by December and 26 more arriving from late 2026 through early 2028. “Republic’s strong first-half performance gives us confidence the combined company could generate annual revenue of $1.8 billion to $2 billion,” Ornstein said.

Pilot groups at both airlines have signed a unity agreement to guide cooperation until a joint CBA is ratified.

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