Mesa Airlines shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of a planned merger with Republic Airways on Tuesday, setting the stage for the deal to close in a matter of days.
Mesa said over 29.6 million votes were cast in support of the merger proposal, while about 185,600 votes were cast against it. There were about 37,270 abstentions.
“We appreciate the strong and clear support our shareholders have provided,” Mesa Chairman and CEO Jonathan Ornstein said in a statement. “This vote confirms the strategic value of combining Mesa and Republic and positions the combined company for enhanced scale and long-term stability.”
The merger is expected to close later this week. Together, Republic and Mesa will form one of the largest regional airlines in the U.S.
The two carriers announced plans to combine in April. At the time, officials said the post-merger company will operate a single fleet of approximately 310 Embraer 170/175 aircraft, with over 1,250 daily departures within the airlines’ existing flying networks.
The post-merger business will continue operating flights for Republic and Mesa’s current partners. Republic has service agreements with United, Delta, and American, while Mesa works only with United, flying as United Express.
According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Mesa will be the surviving corporate entity, though it will take the Republic Airways name. Pre-merger Republic shareholders will own 88% of outstanding shares, while pre-merger Mesa shareholders will hold 6% of the outstanding shares. The remaining 6% will be held in an escrow account for delivery to Mesa investors.
