Look for Delta to place turboprops on shorter routes? Those BigSky BE-1900D's are going to places we have never flown to before--like Owensboro, KY and Jackson, TN from CVG.
You forgot Cape Girardeau, MO. Also heard they will be going to London, KY as well. I agree the plan was for these guys to go into EAS cities, but I've heard they may be going into LEX, SDF, HTS and DAY on some of the thinner flights. Doesn't make sense to fly a 135 to LEX at 10 am with 15 people when you could do it with a 1900 and save a lot of Jet A.
The SH E170s are being traded ONE FOR ONE for E175s, and those older E170s are going to United. The CR9s and E175s take up a full gate, and therefore do not bring in as much revenue as a mainline plane that could take it's place in that limited asset (the gate). You are right, Pinnacle, Freedom, and ASA will be getting some CR9s in 08 for us, but not a ton of them. Look for more mainline planes to come online in mid to late 08--9 MD90s from China and 7 new 737-700s(coming in July at 2 per month).
Way I heard it was the 175s are replacing the 15 135s we are losing, but you never know with the way Bedford moves these planes around. I do know they are shifting 170s to United and Frontier and we have a bunch of 170 family aircraft on order. It would be wonderful to see mainline aircraft replacing RJs, but I wouldn't hold my breath. With the way these execs are whining about the price of oil, it smells like they are getting ready to come to ALPA to get scope relaxed. I remember reading a Wall Street Journal article a couple of years ago that predicted that in 10 years all of the domestic narrow body flying would be outsourced, and these airlines would basically be a brand name and what you used to think of as mainline would be flying international widebodies only. Would be lovely to see you guys go into your next contract negotiation and demand that all flying be on one list (if its got a widget on the tail, a Delta pilot should be in the cockpit) to get rid of the whipsaw, but I don't see Delta pilots (or any other pilot group) making the sacrifices to make that happen (i.e. a strike that may put the company at risk). Over the short term more mailine aircraft will come on line to get rid of some of the 50 seat flying, but if I had to bet, I'd say over the long term you're going to see scope get relaxed, and "regionals" flying larger aircraft to replace the 50 seaters.
I've also heard that all the 50 and 35 seaters in CVG are going over to the C concourse, and the A concourse jetbridges are going to be rehabbed for 170s, CR7s, and CR9s. Already the temorary ramps are being removed sometimes to park CR9s and 170s at the A gates with no awnings, and supposedly the gates with awnings will have them removed in the spring.
The AT7s will probably stick around, especially to fill niche cities like Panama City, FL and Hilton Head, SC. Are there any used large turboprops out there? The SAS Dash-8-400s---but very unlikely they would go to ASA--probably Lynx, Horizon, or Porter in Canada. I don't see any other large turboprops available unless they come off the production line, and there are plenty of orders out there. The 50 seat and 37 seat RJs just do not make money with high oil.
This is JMO, but I don't think DL will take the SAS aircraft because they have not been maintained very well. The recent accidents they had were supposedly related to poor maintenance. I think they have been waiting and hoping that oil prices would come down, and possibly crash like they did in the early 80s. Depending on who you believe, either the price of oil is artificially inflated by speculation or we've reached peak oil and prices are going to keep getting higher. If you believe the former, then you hang on by your fingernails rather than invest in expensive new equipment. If you believe the latter, then you start investing in new equipment that is more fuel efficient.
I think DLs executives are leaning to the idea that high oil prices are here to stay, therefore I think you will see them do something to get larger turboprops, probably off the production line. Also you will see larger aircraft (CRJ7s, 9s, EMB 170/175s and mainline aircraft) replacing 37 and 50 seaters.
