The big issue with Pinnacle was due to the new contract and integration of Mesaba. Delta agreed to pay the costs of training pilots created by this integration. However Delta balked when they discovered this included training pilots to staff United flying. Further Trenary underbid both the United and original Pinnacle 900 flying. Both operations were marginal at best and were ditched in bankruptcy. The decision to get rid of the United flying was an economical decision (just like the Delta Pinnacle 900 flying) and had nothing to do with Delta's interest in keeping Pinnacle from flying for anybody else.

I think you will see Endeavor Air do anything that makes operational and economic sense and increases the value of the company to make it more attractive to investors when the time comes for Delta to sell it off.

Hijack now over.....