Mesa fiscal second quarter ‘very disappointing’
US regional carrier Mesa Airlines continues to suffer from pilot attrition, leading it to a $42.8m loss Q2 of fiscal 2022. That compares to a $5.7m profit in the same quarter one year earlier, the Phoenix-based carrier says on 9 May. “While demand for our product remains strong, our financial results this quarter reflect the ongoing challenge of heightened pilot attrition,” says CE Jonathan Ornstein. “While not entirely unexpected, this quarter was clearly very disappointing.” The results compare unfavourably to one year earlier because the prior period’s earnings were buoyed by coronavirus-driven government payroll support, Mesa says. Mesa flies regional jets for United Airlines and American Airlines, and Boeing 737 Freighters for DHL. The airline flew 65,613 block hours during the three months ending on 31 March, a 11.3% decrease from the same quarter last year, and 23.7% fewer than in December 2021. Revenue for the three months was $123m, a 27% increase over the $97.3m reported in the year-ago period. “In January, our operational and financial performance was significantly impacted by Covid-related higher pilot absence rates, which have since subsided,” Ornstein adds. ”We remain focused on taking steps to address pilot attrition, including increased hiring, simulator capacity and training capabilities, which has been exacerbated by the industry-wide pilot shortage.” Smaller regional carriers like Mesa have suffered most from the dearth of qualified cockpit crew since Covid-19 caused a sudden disruption to the industry two years ago. About 6,000 mostly senior pilots retired early or took extended leaves, as airlines shed aircraft and slimmed down staff to deal with the slump. Now, younger pilots are replacing them, with large carriers heavily recruiting from the regionals, which fly shorter routes with smaller aircraft, and which pay pilots less than do legacy carriers. The result is a hole in regional carriers’ human resource plans, Ornstein says.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2022-05-10/unaligned/mesa-fiscal-second-quarter-2018very-disappointing2019
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Mesa fiscal second quarter ‘very disappointing’
US regional carrier Mesa Airlines continues to suffer from pilot attrition, leading it to a $42.8m loss Q2 of fiscal 2022. That compares to a $5.7m profit in the same quarter one year earlier, the Phoenix-based carrier says on 9 May. “While demand for our product remains strong, our financial results this quarter reflect the ongoing challenge of heightened pilot attrition,” says CE Jonathan Ornstein. “While not entirely unexpected, this quarter was clearly very disappointing.” The results compare unfavourably to one year earlier because the prior period’s earnings were buoyed by coronavirus-driven government payroll support, Mesa says. Mesa flies regional jets for United Airlines and American Airlines, and Boeing 737 Freighters for DHL. The airline flew 65,613 block hours during the three months ending on 31 March, a 11.3% decrease from the same quarter last year, and 23.7% fewer than in December 2021. Revenue for the three months was $123m, a 27% increase over the $97.3m reported in the year-ago period. “In January, our operational and financial performance was significantly impacted by Covid-related higher pilot absence rates, which have since subsided,” Ornstein adds. ”We remain focused on taking steps to address pilot attrition, including increased hiring, simulator capacity and training capabilities, which has been exacerbated by the industry-wide pilot shortage.” Smaller regional carriers like Mesa have suffered most from the dearth of qualified cockpit crew since Covid-19 caused a sudden disruption to the industry two years ago. About 6,000 mostly senior pilots retired early or took extended leaves, as airlines shed aircraft and slimmed down staff to deal with the slump. Now, younger pilots are replacing them, with large carriers heavily recruiting from the regionals, which fly shorter routes with smaller aircraft, and which pay pilots less than do legacy carriers. The result is a hole in regional carriers’ human resource plans, Ornstein says.<br/>
