Disputes over pilot wages and reliability are at the crux of American Airlines and regional carrier Mesa Airlines severing ties in a move that will shift planes to a rival.
The partnership will wind down next spring, with Mesa’s final American Eagle flights set for April 3. The move will come during the traditionally busy spring break travel season, when regional carriers frequently shuttle passengers to beach and mountain destinations.
American customers will begin noticing the change in March, when Mesa’s flight total for the Fort Worth-based airline drops to 2,575, according to Cirium Diio Mi, a worldwide flight schedule tracker with historical and future data. Mesa is scheduled to fly 4,001 flights for American in February.
