Pilots, Get Your Resumes Out -- The Hawaiian Airline Market Is Heating Up

The very first go! aircraft arrived in Honolulu Friday from Phoenix, marking a milestone in the progression of Mesa Air Group's new interisland service. Chief Operating Officer Greg Stephens and other go! employees met the plane, which landed in the early afternoon at Honolulu International Airport.

"The arrival of this aircraft demonstrates our commitment to the launch of go! and our service to the people of Hawaii," said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa Air Group chairman and CEO.

The aircraft's livery, which was designed in-house at Mesa Air Group, features a wave originally photographed off the North Shore of Oahu. The aircraft boasts leather seats and two-by-two seating with no middle seats, and is reportedly one of the quietest jets flying.

The aircraft is powered by high performance General Electric CF34-3B1 engines and is capable of flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour, with a cruising altitude of up to 41,000 feet. The Canadair Region Jet, or CRJ 200, is manufactured by Canadian- based Bombardier, Inc.

All go! aircraft will operate from the commuter terminal at the Honolulu International Airport. 

go! will launch on June 9, 2006 with service between Honolulu and Kona, Lihue and Maui-Kahului with 32 flights per day. The number of daily flights will increase to 62 as service is added to Hilo from Honolulu on June 30th. Mesa currently operates 180 aircraft with over 1,050 daily system departures to 172 cities, 45 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Mexico.

Mesa operates as America West Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express and United Express under contractual agreement with America West, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and United Airlines, respectively, and independently as Mesa Airlines. 

FMI: www.mesa-air.com, www.iflygo.com