US-based Mesa Air Group – whichreported a US$3.7 million loss for thefiscal third quarter ended 30 June – saidit intends to sell its share in its Chineseregional joint venture Kunpeng Airlinesback to its partner in the venture, ShenzhenAirlines.
Xi’an-based Kunpeng has been operatingat a loss and recently announceda decision to transfer its operating baseto the more heavily populated provincialcapital of Zhengzhou. It operates fiveCRJ200s that Mesa will continue to leaseto it if the sale goes through. "If we werein a different situation, we would have adifferent view," Ornstein said yesterday."The cash right now is more valuableto us." It was not disclosed how muchShenzhen will pay for Mesa’s stake.