02/28/2003 - Updated 09:02 AM ET United adding Mesa Air as regional partner in Denver CHICAGO (AP) =97 United Airlines is replacing Air Wisconsin with Mesa Air=20 Group to handle regional flights out of Denver, a step toward United's goal= =20 of slashing regional carrier costs as it reorganizes in bankruptcy. Under a five-year agreement announced Thursday, Mesa is expected to operate= =20 as a United Express carrier out of United's Denver hub beginning in July.=20 Specific routes will be announced later for the 10 Bombardier turboprop=20 aircraft involved, which seat 37 passengers each. The Q200 planes will=20 replace Air Wisconsin's Dornier 328 turboprops, which are being retired.=20 United said Air Wisconsin will continue to provide jet service in the=20 United Express system. In announcing the agreement, United senior vice=20 president Gregory Taylor said Mesa would allow the airline to continue to=20 offer United Express service to medium-sized mountain communities from= Denver. United, which filed for bankruptcy court protection Dec. 9 after more than= =20 two years of heavy losses, wants to shift more flights to smaller,=20 lower-cost regional jets while paying less for each flight. It plans to=20 trim $100 million or more annually from existing contracts with three=20 United Express partners: Air Wisconsin, Atlantic Coast and SkyWest.=20 Colorado-based airline consultant Michael Boyd said the glut of planes and= =20 regional carriers on the market allows United to pick and choose as it=20 negotiates new contracts at favorable terms. "United's putting the squeeze= =20 on everybody," he said. "What United is saying is `Either play ball with us= =20 or we'll find somebody to replace you with.' United needs them, but they=20 need United." Air Wisconsin and Atlantic Coast =97 small jet carriers= heavily=20 dependent upon United's business =97 have been pushing unsuccessfully in=20 bankruptcy court for United to disclose more of its plans for using=20 regional jets. United and United Express carriers combined operate more=20 than 3,300 flights daily. Shares in United parent UAL Corp. fell 3 cents to close at $1.09 on the New= =20 York Stock Exchange. Mesa shares rose 22 cents, or 6 cents, to $4 on the=20 Nasdaq Stock Market. Separately, United faces its first key financial=20 benchmark in bankruptcy on Friday when it must show cash losses of no more= =20 than $964 million from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. United spokesman Joe Hopkins said= =20 the required information would be given to the airline's lenders and=20 creditors committee. In recent interviews with newspaper editorial boards,= =20 United executives have said they were on track to meet the early goal. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.dbombo.net/muddyangels/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************