Phoenix airline Mesa Air Group is one of several carriers now interested in the assets of struggling Arlington, Va.-based US Airways, which is seeking buyers to raise much-needed cash.

		Related articles Pittsburgh airport second worst in loss of passenger seats Airline losses likely to exceed $1 billion

"We have expressed our interest," Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa's chief executive officer and friend of US Airways Chief Executive Officer David Siegel, said yesterday.

Ornstein said he hoped that US Airways could lower its costs and solve its financial problems this year, thereby eliminating any need to sell some of its assets.

But if that doesn't happen, "We would aggressively pursue any opportunities that may develop," he said.

Ornstein, who worked with Siegel at Houston-based Continental Airlines in the 1990s and has vacationed with the Siegel family, said yesterday that he would be interested in the US Airways Express commuter operations, of which his company is already a code-sharing partner, as well as the coveted Washington-New York-Boston shuttle.

Mesa's labor costs are less than those at US Airways, allowing Ornstein to make any of US Airways' assets immediately profitable, he said. "Don't underestimate what can happen when you overlay a new cost structure," he said.

Ornstein informed his employees Friday that he would be taking a new look at US Airways' assets, saying in a message, "I think it is important that we do everything we can to help US Airways return to long-term financial viability," and that, "The potential sale of assets is being closely studied by your management for any potential opportunities that may arise."

New York investment bank Morgan Stanley is helping the airline evaluate its assets and seek potential buyers -- a process that began last week. US Airways Chairman David Bronner wants the board to consider its options at a Feb. 5 meeting.

Mesa is not the only carrier whose interest was piqued by US Airways' for-sale sign. Other possible bidders for parts of the US Airways include American Airlines, which some analysts believe may be interested in the Northeast shuttle, and British entrepreneur Richard Branson, who hopes to launch a new low-fare airline in the United States this year.

Branson said last week that he was in discussions with an undisclosed airline about "carving off chunks of that operation."

Mesa, too, is in a good spot to acquire chunks of US Airways because it already operates under the code-sharing arrangement with the money-losing carrier and Ornstein talks with Siegel on a regular basis.

As a regional carrier that helps larger airlines connect to smaller cities, Mesa serves 179 markets and has about 5,000 employees, Ornstein said.

Also, Mesa has been trying to buy regional carriers recently, including a successful bid for bankrupt North Carolina-based Midway Airlines and a failed $512 million bid for Dulles, Va.-based Atlantic Coast Airlines.

Mesa would be a "likely candidate" to buy what US Airways has to offer, Ornstein said, "given our history and relationship with US Airways and our understanding of the assets."