Horizon in MSP?

[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