Originally Posted by
Truman_Sparks
Also, Delta still needs feed. They are not replacing 50's with more 70's/90's, so it stands to reason that not such a drastic amount of 50's can/will be shed! Delta needs the hubs fed, and right now the 50 does the bulk of this feeding. Take it FWIW.
I wouldn't put too much on the fact that 50 seaters will continue to survive and thrive in the DCI fleet. This is from an employee online chat with Steve Gorman, EVP and COO of Delta.
Steve said... (Jun 10, 2009 1:14:52 PM)
Pre-submitted Question: What is the RJ Fleet Plan?
Answer: We still have too much 50-seat lift. That said, we have either negotiated or have natural lease returns of 50-seaters over the next few years of: 2009 - 21 (plus another 10 Saabs); 2010 - 35; 2011 - 24; 2012 - 44. Even with that aggressive return schedule, we may seek to return 50-seaters earlier and are working on deals for that now.
Sorry for the bad news.
