Mesa Airlines sets Quincy-Kansas City flight schedule

Saturday, January 13, 2007

By Holly Wagner

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Mesa Airlines has announced its schedule of flights between Quincy and Kansas City, Mo., which starts Feb. 1.

The airline last month announced flights to Chicago's Midway Airport, also starting Feb. 1.

The flight schedule to Kansas City, with a stop in Kirksville, Mo., appeared on Mesa's Web site Friday.

"This is excellent news for us," said airport Manager Mark Hanna. "For an airport our size to have air service connection to three different hubs is wonderful."

American Connection offers air service to St. Louis from Quincy.

"This opens up a new corridor for us and one we hope people take advantage of," Mayor John Spring said.

The flight to Kansas City will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes, including the stop in Kirksville. Two flights will leave Quincy each weekday, at 12:15 p.m., arriving in Kansas City at 1:35 p.m.; and at 6:55 p.m., arriving in KC at 8:10 p.m. Return flights will leave KC at 8 a.m., arriving at Baldwin Field at 9:20 a.m.; and at 5:20 p.m., arriving at 6:40 p.m.

One flight will be offered on weekends, arriving in Quincy at 9:20 a.m. and departing at 6:55 p.m.

The flights are already listed on Orbitz and Travelocity. Hanna predicted other Web sites would pick up the listings soon.

The flight schedule was finalized after Mesa completed a new contract with U.S. Airways, operated by Air Midwest, a Mesa subsidiary. The flight from Quincy to Kirksville was listed under U.S. Airways Express. The same plane then would go on to Kansas City under the name Mesa Airlines, said Jeffrey Hartz, manager of Essential Air Service.

Mesa received permission Thursday to sell the entire route under Mesa's name, he said. The new contract gives the airlines permission "to essentially sell two different airlines on the same airplane," Hartz said.

"All Mesa Airlines flights can now easily be ticketed ... at www.flymesa.com," Hanna said. "It's going to provide a lot of opportunity for people in our region to access Kansas City as another destination for business or leisure or another connecting point."

Gov. Rob Blagojevich announced the Quincy flights to Chicago and Kansas City, along with new flights in Decatur and Marion, last November. The new air service will be funded with $1.65 million from the state along with matching funds from each city. Increasing travel options in downstate Illinois will help with business development, he said.

Contact Staff Writer Holly Wagner at (217) 221-3374 or hwagner@whig.com