Delta Airlines, Mesa Air Tangled Up in Squabble over Regional Service

Delta intends to terminate its agreement with Mesa Air Group’s Freedom Airlines to operate Delta Connection flights, but Mesa insists that Delta has no legal basis for doing so.

Delta said that Freedom Airlines’ operational performance for the ERJ-145 aircraft fell below minimum levels required under contract. Mesa said that the performance drop-off was Delta’s fault, alleging that Delta requested Mesa to remove flights to benefit Delta’s overall operation and/or to accommodate Delta mainline flights.

“We appreciate Delta’s desire to reduce capacity as they publicly announced on March 18, 2008, but to do so unilaterally and in patent violation of their contract is not acceptable,” Mesa said. “There was no indication at any time from anyone at Delta that there was a potential issue, and the notice comes as a total surprise to Mesa.”

Mesa Air Group CEO Jonathan Ornstein said, “Delta’s effort to terminate the agreement will not be upheld in a court of law.”