Originally Posted by The Duke

Whether Mesa goes away or not, the issue at hand is that the airline industry is showing some obvious signs of shrinking. The regional airlines, whether it be SkyWest, Republic, Mesa, etc., they've all enjoyed some pretty strong growth over the last 7 yrs. or so. That growth cycle, for myriad different reasons, oil probably being the primary culprit, is now coming to an end. RJs just don't foot the bill anymore, particularly the 50 seaters. So, Mesa going away is more an indicator of things to come for other regionals. Would there be a void? Sure. But the industry has to shrink, particularly at the regional level. So if one should celebrate and rejoice at the prospects of life without Mesa, remember, it could be your job next. This, to me, is the reason why cheering for a competitor's downfall doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Many more regional carriers are going to have to go away in order to make flying profitable w/ $110/bbl oil. If not go away, then downsize significantly.