Yes we will see. I think the biggest reason they are going back is to shed aircraft, not because they are old or a turboprop. Why renew a lease for a saab when you have tons of -200s sitting around doing nothing while you pay leases on them. I really think it was all about timing. Delta needed to shed airframes and this was the easy one.

I honestly think a prop will be back in the DCI system. A 50 seat prop can do the short hops a lot cheaper than a 50 seat jet. I think it is a matter of when can Delta get rid of the -200s. I'm gonna guess 2-3 years and you will see some sort of order.

The other side of the story however is that if -200s saturate the market, it could drive lease rates down. Problem is they will be 15-20 year old -200s, not sure how long those things will stick around.