Considering the latest news, I wonder if Mesaba is shifting their plans and will assign pilots to CRJ200s at the rate of 30 per month (if or as) they get the aircraft.

In December, Northwest reached a long-term services agreement for Memphis-based Pinnacle to operate 124 Canadair Regional Jets (CRJs), which seat 50 passengers. The agreement further stated that Pinnacle could fly 17 additional 50-seaters for Northwest, but the big airline would have the option of removing those airplanes if Pinnacle didn't negotiate a new agreement with its pilots union by March 31.

Northwest may have a perfect home for the removed aircraft. The airline is expected to close its purchase of Mesaba in the coming weeks, and the Minnesota-based regional carrier already has federal certification to fly the 50-seat jets now operated by Pinnacle. . . .

. . . Currently, there are 16 pilots on Mesaba's payroll tasked with flying one 50-seat CRJ for Northwest. [A second one is assigned to Compass] Two years ago, Mesaba geared up to operate 15 of the CRJs, but Northwest halted delivery of those planes after Northwest filed for bankruptcy. . . . .

Now, Mesaba is getting ready to take delivery of three dozen CRJs that seat 76 passengers. Mesaba will be Northwest's sole operator of the 76-seat aircraft. The cockpits for the 50-seat and 76-seat CRJs are similar, and the pilots who fly them get the same license from the Federal Aviation Administration. So it would not be difficult for Mesaba to shift pilots from one CRJ model to another. . . .

Guesses ?????