From a recent internal memo at RAH...
Something to remember in your contract negotiations...the scavengers are already licking their chops in anticipation of you easing scope so they can take your flying.What is our plan with the CRJs? Will we have them on a long-term basis? Can you confirm we’ll only have them for two years? Will we grow our relationship with CO? Were the CRJs parked in the desert before we took them?
It is not our intention to operate the CRJs on a long-term basis. Unlike our usual approach, we did not buy the CRJs, we leased all 24.
We would have preferred to operate our CO fleet exclusively with the ERJ 145, but not enough were available as we began our relationship with CO, which required 50-seat jets.
We believe CO will obtain scope relief by sometime in 2008 – we hope to be able to substitute larger RJs for the CRJs at that point.