Originally Posted by
gloopy
DL will easily get rid of SKYW if they violate DALPA scope. That includes their sad fantasy of operating "non permitted types" as some kind of endless growth manifest destiny. They can do it if they want to on their own though, like IndyAir. SKYW is totally and completely dependent on guaranteed profit feed from a segment of the market that is shrinking rapidly.
This. DALPA actually does actually have deep scope covering more than just RJ size & quantity. IIRC they have provisions covering code shares as well limits on the size of RJ that a DCI carrier can operate for ANY partner.
So if SKW started flying airbus for UAL, I think that would violate DALPA scope.
As for SKW trying to go it alone as a LCC...
1. Long list of historical failures.
2. Very difficult transition to make, since you major airline partners will not want to subsidize the growth of another LCC competitor so safe to assume that the code-share regional flying would end as quickly as contracts allow.
3. Could SKW ramp up a profitable LCC before loss of RJ code-share bankrupts them?
If any regional could pull it off it would be SKW, but it would be a measure of last resort, probably only in the face of the near-total collapse of the regional business model. The company would be far smaller and far less stable following such a transition.