Freight Mesa Air Group signs cargo contract with DHL Express

Mesa Air Group and DHL Express have signed a five-year cargo contract that allows Mesa Air to being providing cargo services with a fleet of Boeing 737-400F aircraft. Two of these cargo aircraft will be operated from the DHL Express America global hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Mesa Air Group said: “We are very excited to enter the cargo market and diversify our business. Flying under contract on behalf of DHL is essentially the same business model Mesa has operated under for over 20 years [...] Cargo transport plays a critical role in the health of communities and economies around the world. Mesa is well-suited for this new mission, and this is just the beginning of what we believe will be a long and productive relationship with DHL.”

Brad Rich, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer added, that this new deal opens a new door for Mesa, as it gives employees and the company a new opportunity to enter the cargo industry. He added that pilots now can earn a 737 type-rating without the need to leave the company.

The five-year contract sees the service to commence in October 2020, ready for the holiday season in the United States, where the amount of cargo transported is normally rising above average. In addition to the higher demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this decision to enter the cargo market could pay off for Mesa.

Mesa also announced, that it will open a new crew and maintenance base in Cincinnati, which allows the operator to quickly check and maintain its aircraft for smoother operations.

Captain Mike Ferverda, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, who is leading Mesa’s 737 certification process added: “I’d like to thank all the people at Mesa, their counterparts at DHL and the FAA, who worked hard to bring this program to fruition [...] While much of the industry is challenged given the present COVID environment, we are pleased to expand our growth opportunities with this project.”

Mesa Air Group has a holding company of Mesa Airlines, a regional air carrier that provides scheduled passenger and cargo service. The airline operates a fleet of 145 aircraft and flies for American Eagle, United Express and now DHL Express.