It's not "elimination of flying" that's getting CAL to pull the planes. They want the ability to bid regional providers off against each other like the other legacies. They want out of the sweetheart contract signed with XJT when XJT was spun out.

Expressjet will lower it's costs (see pilot compensation and contract) or it will no longer exist UNLESS cost becomes only a minor factor in regional contracts with the mainlines, and hands up anybody who thinks that's likely!