American Airlines ends agreement with Mesa Airlines regional carrier

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – American Airlines announced Saturday that it would end its agreement to Mesa Airlines for some regional routes, following concerns over the performance of the Arizona-based carrier.

American stated that its March schedule would show a significant decrease in Mesa flying. The last Mesa-operated American flights will be on April 3. American stated that Mesa flights will be backfilled with regional carriers.

Mesa Airlines suffered a number of financial and operational difficulties in 2018. As a result, we have concerns about Mesa’s ability to be a reliable partner for American going forward,” the airline said in a memo explaining its decision, which was seen by Reuters.

Mesa’s parent company Mesa Air Group didn’t immediately respond to a request of comment. (Reporting and editing by Jonathan Oatis; reporting by David Shepardson