there is still 7 900's to be delivered in 09 that as of now don't have a home.
that would be a easy way to get rid of 7 more 200's

The market for the 50 pax jet aircraft is coming to a close if fuel cost stay high. Boyd group recently stated "don't get between a 50 pax regional jet and the desert as you will be run down". It is just not practical or feasible to operate this type of equipment in todays enviroment.....

So where does that leave things. I think you will see growth in the larger RJ type equipment as well as the 100-120 seat aircraft. These types of equipment have much lower CPSM. The limiting factor in numbers will be the scope langauge for each carrier and who will actually fly them.

One thing though.... Nobody has released the new scope agreement between the dl/nw pilots. Currently just about each side is maxed yet there are a bunch of option orders in the wings. Lots of speculation on both sides. I really wish mainline scope would be firm so that we can have a future above the regionals.

Exactly. Send the 900's to mainline. Let them fly em for mainline pay. The Majors need to start taking it back.

Airplanes.. YAAAAY!

Well, the JPWA could have taken it back, but the DL and NW pilots once again, decided to not expend their negotiating capital on the matter. Instead they'll cap it as status quo and continue to complain about RJs and how we as regional pilots are ruining their careers. This was the perfect time to solve many problems. Obviously you never get everything you want in bargaining, but if it were such a huge issue to mainliners they would have aggressively pursued the matter. Now we're left once again in the age of whipsaw, the race to the bottom and the cultivation of infighting.


Re: 50 seaters. No, there is no future for them flying routes like ATL-JFK, BOS-TPA or whatever crazy route certain airlines allocate them to. If they're deployed on shorter, thinner and less serviced routes where the pricing power remains, they can still be a tremendous asset to the airline. That's what they were designed for and not the post 9/11 panic deployment of the RJ.

The total number of 76 seaters in the JCBA was reduced. You will see less 76 seaters at the new DAL. In addition, there was a restriction to the max weight of the RJs. Only the Compass 175s are grandfathered in, and that lets them exceed that weight limit. You won't see more 76 seaters coming on at the new DAL.

I would imagine they basically just took the current scope from both airlines and joined them together? In other words the current fleet plan for both airlines and the 76 seat frames will go unchanged. It's the amount of frames beyond what is currently operated or will be operated will not change. In other words... NO OPTIONS will/can be taken up. Is that correct? If so... GOOD. Now, 70+ seat turboprops... those are the future IMO to replace 50 seat jets in certain markets.

this is the second person that told me this and i am now starting to believe it. Good for you guys. 900's at mainline or switch options from 900's to crj 1000's or ???

The number of 76 seaters can be increased by three for every new aircraft at mainline.

also pinnacle has a clause in their contract which gives nwa the option of removing 25 crj if it merges with another airline.