Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Nobody is going to be placing any 50 seaters with anyone other than the budweiser factory...ever (unless it's in the third world).
The majors can't wait to get rid of the 50's they currently have...that's why DAL picked this moment in time to play the performance card with mesa.
I have to disagree. 50 seaters are definitely going to decline, but there will always be a rather large market for them. Especially given the current scope clauses in place at the majors. DL has already reached the maximum amount of 76 seat aircraft in the DCI fleet, and jets that size aren't allowed under the CO banner in any form.
50 seaters still make a huge amount of money if utilized properly. Many of the markets they are used in have huge premiums on ticket prices that offset the cost of the aircraft's inefficiency, and many of those markets can't support a larger aircraft and are beyond the efficient range of a turboprop.
Yes, the 50 seat fleet is going to take a beating, but 50 seat flying and RFP's will keep coming, especially as we see the less stable regionals taking hits.