PHOENIX, July 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Mesa Air Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA) today announced that it has made an investment in Heart Aerospace (“Heart”) electric aircraft company, a company that owns its the first to produce the world’s first 19-seat electric ES-19 aircraft alongside Breakthrough Energy Ventures and United Airlines Ventures. Under certain conditions, Mesa also plans to add 100 ES-19 aircraft to its regional fleet and revolutionize air travel in small markets as one of the first network airlines to help decarbonise air travel through the use of electric aircraft. This announcement expands the efforts Mesa has made in the nascent transition to electrically powered flight with airlines such as United Airlines – first by announcing an investment in Archer Aviation and its eVTOL aircraft, and now with the ES-19, an all-electric 19-seater Regional aircraft.
“As we continue to explore opportunities in electric aviation, we are excited to expand our fossil fuel reduction efforts in the aviation industry and are proud to partner with Heart to bring the world’s first electric regional aircraft to market. Mesa intends to continue its expansion by introducing a revolutionary technology that benefits our passengers and the environment. We are excited to take this important step in the decarbonization of air travel through our co-investment with Breakthrough Energy Ventures and United Airlines Ventures in Heart, ”said Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “These technological innovations are good for the environment, will expand the national transportation system, and offer Mesa significant growth opportunities. We look forward to getting back in touch with communities and passengers we previously served. “
Anders Forslund, CEO of Heart added, “Having Mesa as a partner will be invaluable to us. They know the business of operating 19-seaters like few others and bring unique operational insights that we incorporate directly into the design of our aircraft. Mesa has decades of experience operating 19-seaters, so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We couldn’t be more excited to reconnect America to Mesa. “
Mesa was the world’s largest operator of 19-seat aircraft and has unparalleled expertise in connecting smaller communities to the national transportation system. Over the past 30 years, when 19-seater aircraft became uneconomical, operators left the markets and virtually all 19-seater aircraft were taken out of commercial service. For example, Farmington, New Mexico, a rural community on the Navajo Nation border, previously had over 30 daily departures to 7 destinations. Today Farmington has no scheduled passenger service. The reduced operating costs of the ES-19 aircraft promise a revival of travel opportunities that are currently not economical with conventional aircraft. Hundreds of thousands of communities will benefit from new or improved services, and hundreds of thousands of passengers can look forward to safe and reliable air travel again, with the added benefit of flying on an environmentally friendly, zero-emission aircraft.
Heart Aerospace aims to be the first manufacturer to build electric aircraft for commercial passenger service. This 19-seater aircraft, the ES-19, is entirely powered by electric motors and batteries and is said to have a range of approximately 250 miles. Heart Aerospace, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, expects to ship the first ES-19 for commercial use by 2026. Due to the differences between turbine aircraft and electric aircraft, the passenger experience on board the ES-19 will be vastly improved over aircraft of the past. The ES-19 aircraft is quieter than its turboprop counterparts, with less vibration and noise. The low noise during taxi, take-off and landing not only improves the experience for passengers, but also for those who live near airports.
About Mesa Air Group, Inc. Mesa Air Group, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is the holding company of Mesa Airlines, a regional airline that offers scheduled flights and cargo services to 95 cities in 35 states, the District of Columbia and Mexico from Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport. As of May 31, 2021, Mesa operated a fleet of 165 aircraft with approximately 450 daily departures and 3,100 employees. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle, United Express or DHL Express flights under the terms of the capacity purchase agreements entered into with American Airlines, Inc., United Airlines, Inc. and DHL.
About Heart Aerospace Heart Aerospace is an electric aircraft company based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company is developing the ES-19, a 19-passenger aircraft scheduled to enter service by 2026. The company was founded in 2018 and was part of the Y Combinator accelerator program in 2019. Visit heartaerospace.com for more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
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Investor Relations Susan Donofrio [email protected]
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