PHOENIX, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mesa Air Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MESA) today announced it has named Ed Wegel to the position of Senior Vice President -- Corporate Planning. Mr. Wegel will focus on business development, including acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings and new corporate opportunities.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990210/LAW065 )

"We are delighted to have Ed join Mesa. I have known Ed for over a decade and his broad experience and outstanding track record in the airline industry will help Mesa develop and implement its growth strategy moving forward," said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Ed comes to Mesa with over 18 years of experience in the airline industry. He began his aviation career in 1985 at Eastern Airlines where he worked on the finance, operations and marketing staffs. In 1987 he moved to Shearson Lehman Brothers where he specialized in aircraft finance, working with a number of US and foreign airlines. In 1991 he participated as a co-founder in the start-up of Atlantic Coast Airlines where he served on the board for six years. Ed also served as Senior Vice President-Corporate Finance of Atlantic Coast from 1991 to 1994.

In 1995 Ed led an investment group in the privatization of BWIA, the national airline of Trinidad and served as the airline's President and Chief Operating Officer in 1995 and 1996. In 1997 Ed participated in the acquisition of Chautauqua Airlines, a regional airline in the US operating for US Airways and served as the airline's Chief Executive Officer from 1998-1999. Since 1999 Ed has been a consultant to the airline industry working on such projects as advising the trustee in the bankruptcy of Tower Airlines and advising several major investment funds on their airline industry investments.

Wegel is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the University of N. Colorado with an MBA in Finance.

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.

Mesa currently operates 162 aircraft with over 1,000 daily system departures to more than 150 cities, 42 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. It operates in the West and Midwest as America West Express; the Midwest and East as US Airways Express; in Denver, Los Angeles, and Chicago as United Express; in Kansas City with Midwest Airlines and in New Mexico and Texas as Mesa Airlines. The Company, which was

founded in New Mexico in 1982, has approximately 4,400 employees. Mesa is a member of the Regional Airline Association and Regional Aviation Partners.

For further information regarding this press release please contact Sharon Goddin at 602-685-4018 or Sharon.Goddin@Mesa-Air.Com . For more information about Mesa, visit our website at www.mesa-air.com .

SOURCE  Mesa Air Group, Inc.
    -0-                             02/24/2004
    /CONTACT:  Sharon Goddin of Mesa Air Group, Inc., +1-602-685-4018,
Sharon.Goddin@Mesa-Air.Com /
    /Photo:  NewsCom:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990210/LAW065
              PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com /
    /Web site:  http://www.mesa-air.com /
    (MESA)

CO:  Mesa Air Group, Inc.
ST:  Arizona
IN:  TRA AIR
SU:  PER

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