In this case, never underestimate the power of underestimation.

These aircraft aren't ready and proven yet, still unicorns. No airline will strike up a deal on that. If these planes really are 20% more efficient you can bet airlines will do whatever it takes to bring them out vs flying old tired taped up crappy RJs.

Modern airframes especially derivatives generally come in within 1% of spec. The performance is a known issue. All the major contracts are locked in until 2020. The fate of these airframes will be decided before that. I believe the Skywest purchase contracts have a scope out clause.

They can be flown at every mainline with impunity. :cool:

So what's their solution? Will they be forced to continue to make the current generation 175, to maintain their foothold in the US? To prevent Bombardier from taking advantage of the situation to their benefit?

If this does bring about the end of the larger rjs, how is it a bad thing? More mainline jobs are are always better than ANY jobs at a regional. If airlines have such hardons for big rjs, convince Boeing and Airbus to build some. That would eliminate any hesitation mainline pilots have about flying rjs. Wasn't the DC-9 about the same size as a Crj 900?

I remember when Boeing couldn't sell 757's if they were two for the price of one.

I could see a few years of "pause" but if aircraft under 76pax/86k don't exist, regionals won't have planes to fly and mainline will get a small bribe for a big scope gain to allow them. It would take some time, but look at the stages thusfar... 19 to 34, 34-44/50, 50-76(some cases 86-99, yet limited). If the biggest thing is a 900/175(current model)... new tech and market forces will create the storm of either raising scope or losing regional feed. What this article states is what many have known in the latest rounds of contracts- more mainline jobs. This is the equivalent of age 65 vs 60 for rj manufacturers after the pilots worked through it. For 5 years, stagnation and preservation, then a thrive.

Just my thoughts.

Major airline pilots aren't going to have a problem flying them on their certificate with their pilots, they welcome them. It's the airline company's that don't want them flown on their certificates. If they have to pay DC9/717 wages to fly an RJ at mainline, they are going to have to pay the same A scale rate at a regional. This single issue would be taken to binding arbitration at the next opportunity.

What opportunity would require the issue to go to binding arbitration?