Next to join the hit parade could be Mesa Airlines, which says it will file bankruptcy soon if Delta Air Lines terminates a contract that feeds it passengers.

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In four years, with Ornstein negotiating deals and refinancings, Mesa bought six other airlines.

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Five other airlines -- Atlantic Southeast, Comair, ExpressJet, Mesa and Pinnacle -- didn't get an overall grade because some categories couldn't be completed.

CNN: Delta one of top airlines to get an 'F' in report

The opportunity came when United Airlines, citing poor service, canceled a contract making Mesa its feeder in Denver and on the West Coast--a gut-wrenching 48% of Mesa's revenues.

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Ornstein left Mesa in 1994 to head Continental Express, a commuter line owned by Continental Airlines.

FORBES: Second act