The US regional airline Mesa Airlines wants to expand to Europe in the form of an offshoot. The carrier announced on Tuesday that it has jointly founded a company with Gramercy Associates Limited that will apply for European approvals.

Mesa will hold 49 percent of the start-up, as majority ownership would not be allowed due to EU regulations. 51 percent will be owned by Gramercy. This company is led by Tony Davis, former CEO of Tiger Airways. “End of 2021” is targeted as the earliest possible start date for the first flight.

The European branch, which does not yet have a brand name, will operate Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jets. Mesa has 54 copies of this type in the United States. The carrier mainly provides ACMI services for the major US airlines. This is exactly the concept they want to rely on in Europe, but they are also considering flights on their own account.