PINNACLE AIRLINES REPORTS Q2 $2.4M LOSS

Regional airline operator Pinnacle Airlines has reported a $2.4 million loss for the April-June quarter. A 30% rise in fuel costs was blamed for the loss, alongside higher labor costs for pilots and fallout from scheduling changes by code-share partners. The airline is also dealing with merging three subsidiary airlines into two companies, Pinnacle and Mesaba, and resolving pilot staffing and training issues to better meet the needs of code-share partners Delta, United and US Airways. A new pilot contract increased pilot-related expenses $5.7 million. Pilots had to be moved around because of scheduling changes by code-share partners, resulting in