Originally Posted by
waflyboy
I suspect that, in general, Horizon's clientèle are familiar and comfortable with riding on turboprops. The vast majority of their fleet has been props for quite sometime. And the Q400 isn't exactly "your father's turboprop."
I've ridden on Horizon Q's numerous times and never heard the "dangerous little propeller plane" comment from one of their customers. I think the general public (outside of Horizon's customer base) will warm up to these new airplanes, provided a good safety record is maintained and the press highlights the benefits of them.
You are absolutely correct that people in small western towns are used to them...the only ride out of MY hometown was a metro. But most hub pax have a different attitude.
The ultimate problem with t-props is versatility...with an advanced engine a turbojet can serve both short and long routes effeciently. But the prop's speed becomes a hinderance the further it goes...even if the pax don't mind an extra hour on the segment length, you still have to pay the crew, do the Mx (based on flight hours), and pay the mortgage. Plus you can't use that airplane for another revenue flight until it gets to where it's going. The pax pay for distance, they won't pay more just because a flight takes longer and thus has higher overhead costs.