Horizon in MSP?

[justmeinmsp]

I saw a Horizon CRJ in MSP today (3-15). Are they flying to MSP on a schedule or was it something else, like a charter? Anyone know?

 

[JJJ]

It's Horizon flying Frontier Jet Express out of DEN.

 

[tomdav]

msp

Was it in Horizon colors or Frontier? I thought that there would be no swaping of A/C to cover schedules.

 

[justmeinmsp]

It was Horizon colors. I think the flight number was 4104.

 

[JJJ]

Must have been an A/C swap or something due to MX. Can't think of any other reason there would be a QX painted RJ in MSP.

 

[cl-65link]

I saw one a few weeks ago, and it had an animal on the tail, definately Frontier.

 

[wxwatcher]

Radio installed for Horizon a few weeks ago. Guess that means they are expecting to be around here.

 

[Southbound]

To answer, yes, it is a flight operated by QX for Frontier as JetExpress to Denver. All the flight numbers in the 4000's are F9 flights. They are allowed to interchange QX airplanes and F9 painted airplanes as needed. Last week there was a jet with Rocky the Racoon on the tail that flew for the Horizon side of the house from BOI-SJC.

 

[Sioux115]

Q400's

Talking about Horizon in MSP. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a senior Horizon cpt. He said there have been talks about putting the Q400s in MSP flying for NWA. Especially when Mesaba was going to strike. Anyone else here about this?

 

[crashpad]

That would create a conflict of interest for their pilots and since they are the industry leaders of the feeders, we can sleep better knowing they will continue demonstrate the highest professional standards.

 

[JJJ]

More information from a "senior captain"

At the most it could replace some avro routes, but why would they put a 70 seat airplane on routes that only support 33 seat Saabs? It was probably just another rumor.

 

[tomdav]

rumor

This one came out during mesabas contract neg. . I little leverage for managment I think.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Isn't QX short on Q400's? How could they justify NWA flying? Wouldn't they need a load more of -400's?

 

[Q200_FO]

Isn't QX short on Q400's? How could they justify NWA flying? Wouldn't they need a load more of -400's?

Yes, and there was a rumor on the line for a while that said that we just bought 15 more Q400's. But management squashed it.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Yes, and there was a rumor on the line for a while that said that we just bought 15 more Q400's. But management squashed it.

Thats sure a shame - maybe they don't want to take on more than they can handle? (F9, etc)

 

[Wanderer]

More information from a "senior captain"

At the most it could replace some avro routes, but why would they put a 70 seat airplane on routes that only support 33 seat Saabs? It was probably just another rumor.

Must be a rumor. NWA's pilot scope clause says that all regionals must be 50 seats and under with the exception being the 36 69-seat AVROs.

 

[justmeinmsp]

Actually, NW scope defines a "regional jet" as a turbo jet powered aircraft with 45 seats or more. A turbo jet with 44 seats or less is not even considered a "regional jet" under the scope clause.

 

[CWASaab]

Pure rumor.

Mesaba's Airlink Agreement with Northwest provides for Mesaba being the exclusive Turbo-prop feed in MSP and DTW, for at least a few more years.

Additionally, the NWALPA contract addresses Alaska/Horizon specifically and states that their flights that carry the NW code basically have to originate or terminate in SEA, PDX and possibly BOI (can't remember off-hand).

Bottom line, plenty of paper work, some of which is out of the hands of NW management, would have to be changed for Horizon to set up shop in MSP with the NW code.

CWASaab