Originally Posted by
air101
SkyWest INC not SkyWest Airlines... the 50 seaters that are being parked are the 145's and fly for United. Only a very few handful are CRJ200s.. .
From internal communications today.
" Specifically at SkyWest Airlines, a total of four CRJ200s will be removed from service through the end of this year, and an additional 22 CRJ200s will come off contract in 2015.
To recap some of the previous conversations we’ve had about our fleet, in 2012 we made an agreement with Delta to remove 66 CRJ200 aircraft for the addition of 34 CRJ900 aircraft. The 3 CRJ200s we’ll remove in 2014 (and 1 CRJ200 in Jan. 2015) mark the completion of that agreement with Delta."
You're right in that I quoted CRJ200. I meant 50 seaters. I also said SkyWest and meant the corporate entity, not the airline per se. Given the losses according to the report are more with ExpressJet (as far as I've read and heard), it may be realignment is more there (I don't know).
I don't have the insight of your previous conversations but it seems from this that flying is leaving the SKW corporate (current planes - leaving planes + new planes is less than current planes)...
And to beg the greater point, it is my humble opinion that the industry, right now, is at a tipping point. It is also my very humble opinion that we will see some incredible changes in the next 5-10 years. The industry has moved from 19-30 seat aircraft (Anderson's reference to 25 years ...) to very few airframes entering service that are smaller than 72 seats...This, combined with retirements, not to mention growth (which if we are lucky we will see), combined with increased cost (fuel and labor), combined with market expectation, and recent and forecast inability of regionals to meet feed...I just don't see this (barring another 9/11 event or deep recession (we've sort of been in a U shaped rather than traditional V shaped recession vis a vis jobs) segment of the industry flourishing.