=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2003/11/20/f= inancial1226EST0115.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, November 20, 2003 (AP) Mesa Air swings to quarterly profit amid aircraft-financing woes (11-20) 09:26 PST (AP) -- PHOENIX (Dow Jones/AP) -- Mesa Air Group Inc. swung to a profit during t= he latest quarter, despite troubles in financing new airplanes and obtaining used aircraft. The Phoenix-based airline earned $10.7 million, or 27 cents a share, for the fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $20.8 million, or 64 cents, in the same quarter a year ago. The latest results beat the mean estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call of 20 cents a share. Revenue for the latest period jumped to $175.5 million from $132.2 million. During the fourth quarter, Mesa continued its regional jet expansion by adding three CRJ-200 aircraft, four CRJ-700 and two CRJ-900 aircraft to its fleet. Wednesday, the company's unsolicited bid to acquire Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings Inc. suffered a setback when the Dulles, Va., carrier said it will add 25 Airbus planes to its fleet, enabling it to offer low-cost coast-to-coast service early next year. That deal would be difficult for Mesa to break, should Mesa gain control of ACA. Mesa said it still plans to move ahead with the offer and its attempts to replace Atlantic Coast's board with a new one. It wants to continue to operate Atlantic Coast as a regional carrier. In morning trading, shares of Mesa traded at $10.79, up 9 cents, or 0.8 percent, on the Nasdaq Stock Market. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003 AP