EXHIBIT 99.1


          IAN MASSEY APPOINTED TO PINNACLE AIRLINES BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Memphis, Tenn. (January 31, 2006) Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (NASDAQ: PNCL) is
pleased to announce that Mr. Ian Massey has joined the airline's Board of
Directors effective January 26, 2006. Mr. Massey serves as an Independent
Director, and will sit on the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee. He will be subject to re-election at the 2008 annual
meeting of stockholders.

Mr. Massey is Executive Vice-President at Republic Financial Corporation, a
Denver-based investment company. Mr. Massey oversees the activities of
Republic's Corporate Marketing & Communications, Private Equity and Aviation &
Portfolio Groups, as well as the operations of Comergy, a Republic portfolio
company. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of Vought Aircraft
Industrie, Inc.

Mr. Massey graduated from Loughborough University in England in 1973 with a
degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He joined the Ford Motor Company, then
Massey Ferguson as an accountant. In 1980, he joined British Aerospace and was
promoted through a number of positions. In 1989, Mr. Massey was named divisional
finance director in BAe's Regional Aircraft division. Two years later, he moved
to Airbus Industries in Toulouse, France, where he undertook the role of Chief
Financial Officer. As a member of Airbus' senior management, his
responsibilities expanded to include customer finance areas as well as corporate
accounting. After ten years with Airbus, Mr. Massey elected to take yet another
role and in 2001 he moved to Republic Financial Holdings.

Commenting on Mr. Massey's appointment, Philip H. Trenary, Pinnacle's President
& CEO, said "We are fortunate to have such a high caliber professional join our
Board of Directors. Ian brings a wealth of experience in finance and aviation
that will be an invaluable asset as we chart the future of Pinnacle Airlines."

Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. operates under the name Northwest Airlink and provides
service to destinations in the United States and Canada. Pinnacle operates an
all-jet fleet of 124 Canadair 44 and 50-seat Regional Jets from Northwest hubs
at Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis - St. Paul. Pinnacle Airlines maintains its
headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., and employs more than 3,400 People. For further
information, please contact Philip Reed, Vice-President, Marketing at
901-348-4257, or visit our web-site at www.nwairlink.com.

This press release contains various forward-looking statements that are based on
management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by and information currently
available to management. Although the Company believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable; it can give no
assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Such
statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions,
including those set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which are available to investors at our web-site or on line from the
Commission. Should one of more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or
should underlying assumptions prove erroneous, actual results may vary
materially from results that were anticipated or projected. The Company does not
intend to update these forward-looking statements before its next required
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


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