Sat, Dec 06, 2003
Caution Mesa Board That Proposed Merger Would Be Costly
The leaders of the
Atlantic Coast Airlines pilot group have informed the Mesa Airlines
Board of Directors that its 1,600 ACA pilots oppose any takeover of
their airline.
In a letter to the Mesa board, Captain Stephen Hunt, chairman of
the ACA unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, International,
said his members strongly support ACA's plan to create a new
low-cost carrier called Independence Air rather than be swallowed
up by Mesa and remain a feeder carrier for United Airlines.
"Let me be crystal clear: the pilots of Atlantic Coast Airlines
have absolutely no interest in being acquired by Mesa or deviating
in any other way from our management's independent vision," Capt.
Hunt said.
"This hostile takeover is not in the
best interest of ACA stakeholders and employees, and we will fight
to the bitter end to avoid becoming yet another airline tossed in
the Mesa graveyard."
Capt. Hunt's statement came less than a month after ACA pilots
overwhelmingly voted to accept pay and work-rule changes aimed at
making the new low-cost carrier more competitive. He noted that ACA
pilots retain the sole right to terminate the concessionary
agreement if Mesa takes over, making Mesa's proposed code-share
agreement with United much more expensive.
"We genuinely question how the Mesa board could view this
hostile transaction as being in the interests of Mesa stakeholders,
and especially Mesa's pilots," he said.
Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Atlantic Coast Airlines is
one of the leading operators of regional jets in the U.S., with
more than 1,600 pilots and a current fleet of 142 aircraft,
including 112 regional jets.
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