On the airways side... I think Colgan has a stable future. A lot of their flying is government awarded Essential Air Service contracts, and the owner of Colgan just happens to be a politician (state senator last I worked there). Colgan will continue to keep their EAS routes no matter what shakes out. As for Piedmont... I can see Airways looking for a way to shed the liability of having a wholly owned carrier, but I can also see a need for the Dash in the Northeast. Delta just started Dash service ala Mesa/Freedom. Perhaps in a post-merger world, Mesa will be out of the picture, and Piedmont will cover the combined Dash flying. Turboprops are a great asset in the Northeast, and despite customer perceptions, they will live to fly another day.