Horizon CR7s - How Soon For Phase Out?

[johnsonrod]

Quick questions for Horizon pilots out there. Are the CR7s still on the way out or will they be staying for awhile? I thought they were supposed to be replaced soon by Q400s to standardize the fleet? What's the phase-out plan for the CR7 and how will pay be impacted (big drop for the CR7 PICs to the Q400 payscale or not)?

 

[NWaviator]

I will do my best to answer your questions. Yes, they are try to get the RJ's out of the fleet and replace with Q400. They are having a poor time getting buyers for the RJ that we do have, 2 are subleased to South African Express and they are due back next Dec or sometime like that. The Q400 are a maintance disaster and the Rj is always covering for them. Also, management just can't get things right with deploying the RJ to make them profitable. To the point they have no idea when the RJ will go away. There are 3 Q400 in Tuscan that the company has defered delivery for until the RJ's start going away. ALso, they reported that they are trying to defer the remaining 4 deliveries of Q400 for the rest of the year. There are 85 (i think) on furlough and they are talking about 15 more furloughs in the fall. There are some pilots that are pushing for ALPA at QX while we are represented Teamsters currently. The future is a complete uncertainty and I think that management has not idea also.

 

[Browntothebone]

I wish they would stay here in the states and replace some 50 seat RJs with more comfortable 70 seaters with windows that you can actually see out of without bending down too much. I love looking out the windows and hate riding on 50 seat CRJs.

 

[crj567]

I wish they would stay here in the states and replace some 50 seat RJs with more comfortable 70 seaters with windows that you can actually see out of without bending down too much. I love looking out the windows and hate riding on 50 seat CRJs.

-Of the short bus-tardboy!

 

[sitbackrelax]

According to AAG, Horizon plans on having 48 aircraft when the CRJs are gone. They don't plan on replacing all the 700s with q400's. If you do your adds and take aways that leaves room for only ~480 pilots if they don't change their plans. I hope the CRJs stay on property for a while so I can find another job before getting furloughed.

 

[flybigsky]

Last week spoke with one of our VP's while he was in the jumpseat heading up to Seattle... and asked the same question about when and if there had been any serious interest in the CRJ 700's. He said due to the economy he didn't see QX putting the capital into new Q400's to replace all the RJ's should they be leased from us, and that our route structure and capacity could not afford the loss of all our RJ's if someone were interested in buying or leasing them all. ie to me it sounds like getting rid of the entire fleet of Rj's is a ways off...maybe a few here and there but not a total phasing out any time soon.

 

[johnsonrod]

Last week spoke with one of our VP's while he was in the jumpseat heading up to Seattle... and asked the same question about when and if there had been any serious interest in the CRJ 700's. He said due to the economy he didn't see QX putting the capital into new Q400's to replace all the RJ's should they be leased from us, and that our route structure and capacity could not afford the loss of all our RJ's if someone were interested in buying or leasing them all. ie to me it sounds like getting rid of the entire fleet of Rj's is a ways off...maybe a few here and there but not a total phasing out any time soon.

Thanks for the update - that makes sense.

BTW, I didn't know SWA had RJs.... According to your profile you are a SWA FO.