This smells of classic FUD more than anything.

It makes so little sense to operate the exact same type +/- a plug in the tube at two drastically different tiers and cost structures. Management is either attempting to pull wool over our eyes in an absolute genius flanking maneuver/staged retreat/ambush straight out of Braveheart/The Patriot, or (more likely) going to their worn out FUD playbook of floating new aircraft rumors at contract time.