Mr. Ornstein served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mesa Air Group from 1999 to 2025. Across his four decades of aviation industry experience, he repeatedly demonstrated an ability to scale aviation businesses, execute complex transactions, allocate capital prudently, and navigate highly regulated markets. In his first tenure at Mesa Air Group, from 1988 to 1994, he worked closely with company founders Larry and Janie Risley. As EVP and President of Mesa’s subsidiary, WestAir Holding, he executed a successful turnaround of WestAir from a pre-tax loss of $12 million to a pre-tax profit of $16 million in one year. He left Mesa to become CEO of Continental Airlines’ Continental Express operation, where he oversaw an $80 million improvement in operating income, then was recruited by Richard Branson to co-found and lead Virgin Express, a low-fare airline in Europe. Mr. Ornstein returned to Mesa in 1998 as CEO and was named Chairman in 1999. He led the company’s growth into one of the largest regional airline operators in the United States and oversaw its merger with Republic Airways Holdings in November 2025, stepping down just prior to the merger completion. Under his leadership, Mesa Air explored next-generation aviation technologies, including vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platforms, and made a strategic investment in XTI in 2024.