Mesa lawsuit postponed until April

A lawsuit levied against go! parent Mesa Air Group by bankrupt Aloha Airlines in 2006 will be pushed back to April 7 to allow more time for research and identifying key witnesses.

The suit initially was due to be heard on Oct. 28.

Aloha alleges that the Phoenix-based carrier misused confidential and proprietary information obtained in 2005 during its bankruptcy. Aloha, which blamed go! and high fuel costs for shutting down passenger operations on March 31, also has accused Mesa of predatory pricing.

The case will be heard in federal District Court before Judge David Ezra.

The suit was purchased last week by Yucaipa Corporate Initiative Fund I, LP, the majority investor of Aloha, with a $10 million credit offer that will reduce the $116.7 million it is owed by the carrier.

"I realize there hasn't been very much discovery at all in this case," Judge Barry Kurren said at a rescheduling hearing yesterday. "I don't see any way we can proceed in an orderly fashion unless we move the trial date."

In April, Mesa agreed to pay Hawaiian Airlines $52.5 million in damages to settle a similar lawsuit regarding the carrier's misuse of confidential and proprietary information obtained in 2004 during Hawaiian's bankruptcy.