Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 14A Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ) Filed by the Registrant ☒ Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐ Check the appropriate box: ☐ Preliminary Proxy Statement ☐ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) ☒ Definitive Proxy Statement ☐ Definitive Additional Materials ☐ Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 Mesa Air Group, Inc. (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): ☒ No fee required. ☐ Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. 1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: 2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: 3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): 4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: 5) Total fee paid: ☐ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. ☐ Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. 1) Amount Previously Paid: 2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: 3) Filing Party: 4) Date Filed: Table of Contents NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS and 2019 Proxy Statement The Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Mesa Air Group, Inc. will be held: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time New York Hilton Midtown 1335 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019 Table of Contents NOTICE OF THE 2019 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF MESA AIR GROUP, INC. Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Time: 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time Place: New York Hilton Midtown 1335 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019 Purposes: (1) To elect seven directors to hold office until the next annual meeting and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified; (2) To approve the Mesa Air Group, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan; (3) To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019; and (4) To transact any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. Record Date: Only shareholders of record at the close of business on February 15, 2019, the record date for the Annual Meeting, will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. How You Can Vote: Shareholders may vote at the Annual Meeting, or in advance over the Internet, by telephone or by mail. By order of the Board of Directors, Brian S. Gillman Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Phoenix, Arizona February 25, 2019 Table of Contents IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS The Notice of Meeting, Proxy Statement, Proxy Card and our fiscal year 2018 Annual Report, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, are available at www.proxyvote.com. YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT. PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE ATTACHED PROXY STATEMENT. EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, PLEASE PROMPTLY COMPLETE, EXECUTE, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE ACCOMPANYING POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE. NO POSTAGE IS NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. YOU MAY ALSO VOTE ELECTRONICALLY VIA THE INTERNET OR BY TELEPHONE BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROXY CARD. IF YOU VOTE BY INTERNET OR TELEPHONE, THEN YOU NEED NOT RETURN A WRITTEN PROXY CARD BY MAIL. SHAREHOLDERS WHO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING MAY REVOKE THEIR PROXIES AND VOTE IN PERSON IF THEY SO DESIRE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR SECURITY PROCEDURES, ALL PERSONS ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO PRESENT PICTURE IDENTIFICATION. Table of Contents 410 North 44th Street, Suite 700 Phoenix, Arizona 85008 February 25, 2019 Dear Fellow Shareholder: You are cordially invited to attend the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 (the “ Annual Meeting”) of Mesa Air Group, Inc., on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, at the New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019. At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to (i) elect seven directors to hold office until the next annual meeting and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified, (ii) approve the Mesa Air Group, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, (iii) ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019 and (iv) transact any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting, or any adjournments or postponements thereof. It is important that your shares be represented and voted, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person. You may vote on the Internet, by telephone or by completing and mailing a proxy card. Voting over the Internet, by telephone or by written proxy will ensure your shares are represented at the Annual Meeting. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may revoke your proxy if you wish, and vote in person. We thank you for your continued support and interest in Mesa Air Group. Sincerely yours, Jonathan G. Ornstein Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Questions and Answers about Proxy Materials and Voting 1 Board of Directors and Corporate Governance 8 PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS 15 PROPOSAL 2: APPROVAL OF THE MESA AIR GROUP, INC. 2019 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN 22 PROPOSAL 3: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 27 Report of the Audit Committee 28 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management 29 Executive Compensation 34 Outstanding Equity Awards as of September 30, 2018 39 Equity Compensation Plan Information 40 Transactions With Related Persons in 2018 41 Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance 43 Other Matters 43 Appendix A - Mesa Air Group, Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan A-1 i Table of Contents 410 North 44th Street, Suite 700 Phoenix, Arizona 85008 PROXY STATEMENT FOR 2019 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS To be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Questions and Answers about Proxy Materials and Voting This Proxy Statement, the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting, proxy card and the Annual Report to Shareholders of Mesa Air Group, Inc. (the “Company,” “Mesa Air Group,” “we, “us” and “our”) are being mailed on or about February 25, 2019. You should read this entire Proxy Statement (this “Proxy Statement”) carefully for information about the proposals to be presented at our 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 (our “Annual Meeting”). Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this Proxy Statement. The information in the “question and answer” format below is for your convenience only and provides essential information about the proxy materials and how to cast your vote at our Annual Meeting. What is a proxy? Our Board of Directors (our “Board”) is asking for your proxy. This means you authorize persons selected by the Company to vote your shares at our Annual Meeting in the way that you instruct. All shares represented by valid proxies that are received and not revoked before our Annual Meeting will be voted at our Annual Meeting in accordance with the shareholder’s specific voting instructions. Why am I receiving these materials? You are receiving these materials because at the close of business on February 15, 2019 (the “Record Date”), you owned shares of our common stock, no par value per share. All shareholders of record on the Record Date are entitled to attend and vote at our Annual Meeting. Each share of our common stock is entitled to vote at our Annual Meeting. As of December 31, 2018, we had 23,902,903 shares of common stock outstanding. With respect to all of the matters submitted for vote at our Annual Meeting, each share of common stock is entitled to one vote. What information is contained in this Proxy Statement? This Proxy Statement includes information about the nominees for directors and other matters to be voted on at our Annual Meeting. It also explains the voting process and requirements; describes the compensation of our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and our other most highly compensated executive officer (collectively referred to as our “named executive officers” or “NEOs”); describes the compensation of our directors; and provides certain other information that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) rules require. 1 Table of Contents What should I do with these materials? Please carefully read and consider the information contained in this Proxy Statement and then vote your shares as soon as possible to ensure that your shares will be represented at our Annual Meeting. You may vote your shares prior to our Annual Meeting even if you plan to attend our Annual Meeting in person. What shares are included on my proxy card? You will receive one proxy card for all the shares of our common stock that you hold as a shareholder of record (in certificate form or in book-entry form).