Mesaba Airlines

Republic works to restructure loss-making 50-seat operations at its subsidiary Chautauqua

Republic Airways Holdings has undertaken a restructuring of its Chautauqua Airlines subsidiary that operates 50-seat regional jets with a targeted USD40-60 million improvement by 2013. The company is hoping to overcome the daunting challenge facing all US regional airlines of finding a price point that makes the operation of smaller jets consistently profitable.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s the introduction of the 50-seat regional jet ushered in heady times for US regional carriers as they negotiated high margin capacity purchase agreements with their US legacy partners that allowed for strong profits that often times bested the financial performance of the network carriers they were partners with.

Yanking of Jazz Thomas Cook contract underscores ever-growing difficulty in regional airlines

A decision by travel package operator Thomas Cook to end a five-year charter agreement three years early with Canada’s Jazz Aviation reflects the stark realities regional carriers face in attempting to meaningfully diversify their core business of providing feed to network legacy airlines.

While Thomas Cook ended the deal due to souring demand, it leaves Jazz again with just one client, Air Canada. Tensions between Jazz and Air Canada have flared over a dispute on rates paid to Jazz that could result in the regional carrier having to pay its partner CAD26 million (USD26.2 million) if an arbitrator later this year rules in Air Canada’s favour.

Pinnacle's dismal 3Q with USD13m negative swing continues poor outlook for regionals

The impact of the changes in legacy-regional relationships, illustrated in stark relief by SkyWest Airlines on 02-Nov-2011, was shown again on 03-Nov-2011 when Pinnacle Airlines Corp posted a third quarter loss of USD3.5 million. The loss was a USD13 million swing from 3Q2010 when it earned USD9.4 million. It also projected a loss in the fourth quarter, with expectations for a loss in 2012.

Projections had expected a profit on USD317-328 million in revenues. It did meet revenue expectations posting consolidated operating revenue of USD319.8 million, a 5.8% increase largely owing to the increase in Q400 operations as well as a year-on-year increase in United Express rates.

Pinnacle posts net loss as new management focusses on restructuring

Still suffering headwinds from a combination of its new pilots' contract, last-minute schedule changes at Delta, which have also haunted SkyWest, the Mesaba integration and general cost and efficiencies, Pinnacle Airlines posted a second quarter net loss of USD2.4 million on a USD100 million increase in total operating revenues to USD320.1 million.

Delta aggression toward US regionals revealed in latest earnings calls

An interesting discussion as to how Delta is trying to change the financial dynamics of the US regional airline industry occurred during the Pinnacle Airlines conference call, as Dahlman Rose analyst Helane Becker frankly stated that Delta is not a good partner for any of its regional partners.