Mesa, Shenzhen Ink Joint-Venture Deal

Mesa Air Group has signed a joint-venture agreement with Shenzhen Airlines to create a regional airline in China. The new carrier—the name of which is yet to be set—will begin scheduled service within 12 months, according to a statement issued by Mesa. The new carrier will start by operating 50-seat regional jets on domestic routes in China; focus cities include Beijing, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Nanjing, Kunming, Dalian, Xian and Zhengzhou. Shenzhen Airlines, founded in 1992, operates 100 routes within China and Southeast Asia; it is based in Shenzhen. Mesa's operations encompass 43 states in the U.S. as well as Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. It operates as America West Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express and United Express, as well as Mesa Airlines. In June, it launched inter-island service in Hawaii as Go! Visit [www.mesa-air.com].