PHOENIX, Feb 14, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Mesa Air Group, Inc.
(Nasdaq: MESA) (the "Company") today announced first quarter after tax losses
of $2.8 million from continuing operations on operating revenues of $326.6
million. Total operating revenues for the first quarter of 2008 decreased
$6.9 million, or 2.1% primarily as a result of a year-over-year decrease in
aircraft in service. The net loss of $2.8 million, or $0.10 per diluted
share, compares to net income from continuing operations of $8.9 million, or
$0.22 per diluted share for the same period of fiscal 2007. Pro forma net
loss for the quarter was $0.1 million or break even on a per share basis. The
pro forma net loss for the quarter includes adjustments for the following
items on an after tax basis: $3.7 million in costs associated with the return
of aircraft to the lessors, $0.5 million for go! legal expenses, $0.6 million
loss from equity method investments and $2.4 million gain on marketable
securities.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990210/LAW065)
Total Available Seat Miles ("ASM's") for the first quarter of fiscal 2008
decreased 8.0% from the first quarter of 2007 primarily due to a decrease in
the number of aircraft flown from 200 as of December 31, 2006 to 183 as of
December 31, 2007. At December 31, 2007 Mesa's operating fleet was comprised
of 87 50-seat regional jets, 38 86-seat regional jets, 20 66-seat regional
jets, two 76-seat regional jets, 16 37-seat turboprops, and 20 19-seat
turboprops. As of December 31, 2007, the Company operated 51 regional jets
and 22 turboprops on a codeshare basis with US Airways, 53 regional jets and
ten turboprops for United, 38 regional jets for Delta. The Company also flew
4 turboprops at Mesa Airlines and 5 regional jets in Hawaii operating as go!.
As of December 31, 2007, the Company's cash, marketable securities and
debt investments were approximately $188.2 million, which includes $97.3
million of restricted cash, of which $90.0 million is a cash bond posted as
security for a judgment against the Company in favor of Hawaiian Airlines in
October 2007, which is currently under appeal and is included in non-current
assets.
Events during the first quarter included:
-- The Company placed the first two of 14 76-seat CRJ-900's into service
for Delta Airlines. Three additional CRJ-900's will be delivered and
placed into service for Delta in the second quarter.
-- The Company delivered two additional CRJ-200 aircraft to Kunpeng
Airlines, its Chinese joint venture. At the end of the quarter,
Kunpeng was subleasing a total of four aircraft from Mesa. Kunpeng
Airlines operates regional air services within the People's Republic of
China utilizing a fleet of modern Bombardier CRJ-200, 50-seat regional
jets.
-- go!, the Company's independent Hawaiian operation, celebrated its one
millionth customer after just 17 months of service. In addition, an
agreement was signed permitting Alaska Airlines to sell go! tickets as
direct connections to Alaska Airlines flights. go! signed a contract
with the US Government designating go! as its preferred Hawaiian
interisland airline.
-- The Company returned three CRJ-200 aircraft at the end of their leases.
As the Company grows with larger regional jets (CRJ-700's and CRJ-
900's), the Company is shrinking its fifty-seat regional jet fleet,
through sub-leases and lease returns. Seven additional CRJ-200's will
be removed from partner contracts this fiscal year.
"We are certainly disappointed with the results of the quarter," said Mesa
Chairman and CEO, Jonathan Ornstein. "We are confident in our plans, however,
to shrink our less profitable fifty seat fleet and grow with our larger, more
profitable regional jets. We made strides in this quarter in both
initiatives."
"We are proud of our Chinese partnership which is positioning itself as
the largest regional jet operator in the country. And we are proud of the key
marketing milestones reached at go!, our Hawaiian operation."
Operating Data
Three Months Ended December 31,
2007 2006
Passengers 3,587,044 3,884,084
Available seat miles ("ASM") (000's) 2,120,137 2,304,587
Revenue passenger miles (000's) 1,550,131 1,694,773
Load factor 73.1% 73.5%
Yield per revenue passenger mile (cents) 21.1 19.7
Revenue per ASM (cents) 15.4 14.5
Operating cost per ASM (cents) 15.4 13.6
Average stage length (miles) 398 397
Number of operating aircraft in fleet 183 200
Gallons of fuel consumed 41,455,546 55,290,884
Block hours flown 128,558 144,468
Departures 84,984 96,034
*Excluding one time items
MESA AIR GROUP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Three Months Ended December 31,
2007 2006
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
Operating revenues:
Passenger $323,203 $330,970
Freight and other 3,389 2,563
Total operating revenues 326,592 333,533
Operating expenses:
Flight operations 93,571 95,183
Fuel 115,919 114,239
Maintenance 72,010 57,900
Aircraft and traffic servicing 19,655 19,231
Promotion and sales 781 814
General and administrative 14,992 16,662
Depreciation and amortization 9,587 10,309
Bankruptcy settlements - (620)
Total operating expenses 326,515 313,718
Operating income 77 19,815
Other income (expense):
Interest expense (9,681) (9,844)
Interest income 2,600 4,533
Loss from equity method investments (1,052) (70)
Other income 3,903 205
Total other expense (4,229) (5,176)
Income (loss) from continuing operations
before taxes (4,152) 14,639
Income tax provision (benefit) (1,395) 5,753
Net income (loss) from continuing
operations (2,757) 8,886
Loss from discontinued operations,
net of taxes (1,449) (874)
Net income (loss) $(4,206) $8,012
Basic income (loss) per common share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations $(0.10) $0.26
Loss from discontinued operations (0.05) (0.02)
Net income (loss) per share $(0.15) $0.24
Diluted income (loss) per common share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations $(0.10) $0.22
Loss from discontinued operations (0.05) (0.02)
Net income (loss) per share $(0.15) $0.20
Weighted average shares - basic 28,542 33,632
Weighted average shares - diluted 28,542 44,930
Dilutive interest on convertible
debentures included in interest expense
(after tax) * $909
Three Months Ended December 31,
2007 2006
PRO FORMA (After tax):
Net income (loss) from continuing
operations $(2,757) $8,886
Net gain on securities (2,385) -
Loss on disposal 68 -
Costs associated with the early return of
aircraft, primarily CR200 3,658 -
go! legal expenses 477 -
Start up costs on China JV 153 -
Loss from equity method investments 648 70
Pro forma net income from continuing
operations $(138) $8,956
Pro forma income per common share:
Basic $(0.00) $0.27
Diluted $(0.00) $0.22
Weighted average shares - basic 28,542 33,632
Weighted average shares - diluted 28,542 44,930
Dilutive interest on convertible debentures
included in interest expense (after tax) * $909
* Excluded from the calculation of dilutive earnings per share because the
effect would have been antidilutive.
To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in
accordance with GAAP, the Company uses non-GAAP measures of pro forma net
income and pro forma earnings per share, which are adjusted from our GAAP
results as shown above. These non-GAAP adjustments are provided to enhance the
user's overall understanding of our current financial performance. We believe
the non-GAAP results provide useful information to both management and
investors by excluding certain charges and other amounts that we believe are
not indicative of our core operating results. These non-GAAP measures are
included to provide investors and management with an alternative method for
assessing the Company's operating results in a manner that is focused on the
performance of the Company's ongoing operations and to provide a more
consistent basis for comparison between quarters. In addition, since we have
historically reported pro forma results to the investment community, we
believe the inclusion of non-GAAP numbers provides consistency in our
financial reporting. These measures are not in accordance with or an
alternative for, GAAP and may be different from pro forma measures used by
other companies.
Mesa's first quarter results will be discussed in more detail via
teleconference on February 14, 2008 at 11:00 AM Mountain Time, 1:00 PM Eastern
Time. The live audio Webcast of the call will be available on Mesa's Web site
at www.mesa-air.com. There will also be a replay of the call available
beginning approximately one hour after its conclusion at the same Web address.
Mesa currently operates 183 aircraft with over 1,300 daily system
departures to 181 cities, 46 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, the
Bahamas and Mexico. Mesa operates as Delta Connection, US Airways Express and
United Express under contractual agreements with Delta Air Lines, US Airways
and United Airlines, respectively, and independently as Mesa Airlines and go!.
In June 2006 Mesa launched inter-island Hawaiian service as go!. This
operation links Honolulu to the neighbor island airports of Hilo, Kahului,
Kona, Lihue, Moloka'I and Lana'I. The Company, founded by Larry and Janie
Risley in New Mexico in 1982, has approximately 5,000 employees. Mesa is a
member of the Regional Airline Association and Regional Aviation Partners.
This press release contains various forward-looking statements that are
based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by and information
currently available to management. Although the Company believes that the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable; it
can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct.
Such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially
from those anticipated, estimated, projected or expected. The Company does not
intend to update these forward-looking statements prior to its next filing
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
http://www.mesa-air.com/
SOURCE Mesa Air Group, Inc.
http://www.mesa-air.com