Republic Airways and Mesa Airlines pilot unions sign unity agreement ahead of merger

Earlier this year, both airlines announced their intention to merge, which would create a larger regional carrier serving passengers in the United States. Despite this significant development within the industry, most travelers are unlikely to notice any immediate changes once integration is complete. Regional airlines such as Republic and Mesa typically operate flights under contract for major carriers rather than under their own brands.

Currently, Republic operates flights for American Airlines (as American Eagle), Delta Air Lines (as Delta Connection), and United Airlines (as United Express). Mesa now flies exclusively for United Airlines. Because these regional carriers do not market their own brands or offer separate loyalty programs or cabins, passengers are not expected to see new routes or other visible differences after the merger. Most operational decisions will continue to be made by the major airlines that contract with them.

However, industry observers note that consolidation could have implications beyond passenger experience. A combined airline with a larger fleet may enable Republic Airways—the surviving brand—to expand its services for partner airlines across North America.

This merger follows broader trends in U.S. airline consolidation in recent years. For example, Alaska Airlines successfully acquired Hawaiian Airlines last year after JetBlue’s proposed purchase of Spirit was blocked by regulators (https://simpleflying.com/alaska-airlines-hawaiian-airlines-merger-what-we-know/). Alaska’s management has since integrated Hawaiian’s widebody aircraft into its operations, expanding international service from Seattle (https://simpleflying.com/alaska-airlines-hawaiian-airlines-merger-widebodies/).

Despite growth opportunities from such mergers, there can be negative consequences for employees; following Alaska's acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, about 250 Hawaiian employees were laid off—mainly from corporate offices (https://simpleflying.com/hawaiian-airlines-layoffs-alaska-merger/). This context highlights why Republic and Mesa pilot unions are focused on job protection as they move forward with their own merger plans.