Not entirely true.

I thought EAS pays on completion?

This is true. However if loads remain low, and with a certain senator pushing for slashing the EAS budget, certain routes will be toast.:(

............

Yup. Hopefully Silver can get the Saab flying for United in IAD and IAH. (rumor)

Actually, the north, especially Billings, pulls in the most money. The oil mining up there plays a huge part in it. I'm not sure which town it is, but one of the legs is almost always full.

Some rumor going on, but also a tiny bit of substance...

12/19/2011 ASA to terminate EAS to Lewisburg, WV
3/12/12 Colgan to terminate EAS in Victoria, TX and Staunton,VA
3/12/12 Colgan to terminate EAS in Altoona and Johnstown, PA
3/13/12 Colgan to terminate EAS in Morgantown, Clarksburg, and Beckley, WV
3/15/12 Silver Airways submits proposal for EAS in Altoona and Johnstown, PA

ASA has been denied the right to terminate until someone (Silver?) picks up the flying out of Lewisburg. I also see no proposal from Silver to even pick up some additional flying out of Lewisburg. I find it odd considering they already fly there a couple of times a week. (EDIT: Turns out they are working on it.)

Colgan is getting out of some of the EAS markets in WV and PA that would really suit Silver. The Morgantown, Clarksburg, and Beckley flying seems like a perfect fit for their goals of expanding their northeastern operations. Also the company seems pretty proactive about things as not a month after Altoona and Johnstown started soliciting proposals, and days after Colgan announced their withdrawal, Silver submitted their bid for AOO and JST to IAD. The kicker? It's with a Saab.

The Texas rumor is one I've been hearing since I was hired but I don't have any reason to believe it just yet. Not until Colgan starts dropping their Texas markets the way they have in WV and PA will I believe it's even possible.

There's certainly plenty of opportunity for growth!

Really? I had no idea! I would have assumed all the flights to the Bahamas would bring in the cash.

Bahama's? A old Florida Captain said it best:

"Five hours late, unpressurized, with no air conditioning, but gee don't these hat's look nice!"

I think the Florida stuff MAYBE able to hold there own if they could work out the bugs like broke planes, no pilots, late flights, aggravated passengers.....

How many 'lifers' do you guys have over at silver?

There's actually quote a bunch from what I've seen. Mostly guys who either have other business or married wives who make a lot of money. I've met a lot of guys who said they wouldn't give up the 1900 for anything else. Most of these guys are based in Tampa and quite content with the status quo.