Pinnacle Airlines Debtor-In-Possession Financing Approved

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (OTCMarkets.com: PNCLQ) today announced that it has received final approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York for $74.3 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing. The funding is being provided by Delta Air Lines, Inc.

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"We are pleased that the court has granted Pinnacle final approval for DIP financing with the support of the unsecured creditors' committee," said Sean Menke, president and CEO of Pinnacle. "Combined with cash from our ongoing operations, this funding will be available to help ensure that Pinnacle has sufficient liquidity to meet its operational and restructuring needs. This is an important step in our ongoing efforts to develop a viable business plan, while continuing to provide passengers with safe, reliable and timely service."

As previously announced, $44.3 million of the DIP financing will be used by Pinnacle to repay a secured promissory note held by Delta. The remaining $30 million will be available to fund operations during the restructuring process.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP are serving as the company's legal advisors in the restructuring. Barclays Capital and Seabury Group LLC are serving as financial advisors.

About Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (OTCMarkets.com: PNCLQ), a $1 billion airline holding company with 7,400 employees, is the parent company of Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. and Colgan Air, Inc. Flying as Delta Connection, United Express and US Airways Express, Pinnacle Airlines Corp. operating subsidiaries operate 197 regional jets and 55 turboprops on more than 1,300 daily flights to 182 cities and towns in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Belize. Corporate offices are located in Memphis, Tenn., and hub operations are located at nine major U.S. airports. Visit www.pncl.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions, and as such involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that the Company now anticipates – both in connection with the Chapter 11 filings the Company is announcing today and the Company's business and financial prospects. Statements of management's expectations, including its desire to successfully restructure in order to return the Company to long term viability and financial strength, to compete effectively in the marketplace, to cut costs and to restore profitability, are based on current assumptions and expectations. No assurance can be made that these events will come to fruition. Readers are referred to the documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which further identify the important risk factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contacts

Media
Joe Williams
Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
901-346-6162
[email protected]

Michael Freitag / Nick Lamplough
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449

Investors
Ron Kay
901-344-5705
[email protected]

SOURCE Pinnacle Airlines Corp.