Just months after it launched go!, Mesa (MESA) is partnering with Mokulele Airlines to create go!Express to provide feed at go!'s four main destinations as well as non-stop service between neighbor islands. Mokulele Airlines,which just completed its year-long certification process with the Department of Transportation, will use a fleet of initially five new Cessna Grand Caravan 208Bs in go!Express livery to serve Kapalua, Lanai and Molokai from Honolulu. It will complement existing service provided by go! to Lihue, Kahului, Kona and Hilo.

Mesa is not making an investment in Mokulele although the two will share offices and marketing expenses. The new go!Express flights are expected to begin in the second half of December and will soon be available online at: http://www.iflygo.com. The Caravans will be outfitted with leather seats at a 34" pitch which will include inflight entertainment offered for the first time in inter-island service. The entertainment will include both advertisements and short subjects, according to Mokulele CEO Bill Boyer.

The delivery schedule for the Caravans, expected in early December, has not been completed yet as the details of the contract are still being worked out, according to Mesa Vice President-Corporate Communications Paul Skellon. Two of the Caravans ordered come with an option to become freighters instead of passenger aircraft, although any freight operation would not be part of the Mesa deal.

Mokulele Airlines was founded in 1998 in Kona, Hawaii. Based on the Island of Hawaii, Mokulele Airlines currently operates charter services between the islands as well as Circle Island Tours around the Island of Hawaii. This year, the airline received the 2006 West Hawaii Today's Best of West Hawaii award, "Best Air Tours."

With the purchase of new Caravan 208B aircraft, Mokulele will have one of the youngest fleets in Hawaii. Mokulele is a member of Regional Aviation Partners.

"I am excited by the great opportunities this partnership will bring to the smaller communities of Hawaii," said Boyer. "None of this would have been possible without our new partnership with go!," added Boyer.

"Bill Boyer and Mokulele have supported the go! team since our inception of service in Hawaii. Our new partnership with Mokulele, operating as go!Express, will extend our network and offer market leading low fares to more travelers throughout Hawaii. go!Express will strongly support our mission to bring families and friends together while creating great new business opportunities," said Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa Air Group chairman and CEO.

Mesa also said go! racked up record sales September 4-8, the best week of sales since go! launched on June 9. The fledgling carrier is continuing to sell its $39 inter-island fare.