New aircraft for Piedmonster?!

[Victor Meldrew]

US Airways eyes Q Series order
By Mary Kirby
Carrier discusses Dash 8 deal for Piedmont division
US Airways may replace one of its feeder airlines' large fleet of Bombardier Dash 8s with the new-generation Q Series models, providing further evidence of a revival in the US turboprop market.

According to a newsletter from the US major to its employees, published earlier this month, US Airways is in preliminary talks with Bombardier over a potential order for Dash 8 Q300s and Q400s.

The aircraft are being studied as possible replacements for the older-generation Dash 8s in operation at US Airways regional subsidiary Piedmont Airlines, which according to Flight's ACAS database operates 72 Dash 8s - 48 -100s, 12 Q200s and 12 Q300s.

US Airways stresses it is in "the very early stages of that [review] and we have a lot of time to make that decision, so it will be some time before we do". Piedmont - an all-Dash 8 operator - feeds US Airways' US East Coast hubs at Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington Dulles.

In May, Continental Airlines signalled that the US market was beginning to reverse its negative stance towards the turboprop when it emerged that it had issued a request for proposals (RFP) to regional carriers to operate 24 new 70-seat turboprops. In recent years, the only major US airline buyer of new turboprops has been Horizon Air, which has a fleet of Q400s.

Meanwhile, US Airways' plan to introduce the Bombardier CRJ900 into the fleet of its subsidiary PSA Airlines has stalled after the regional carrier's pilots rejected proposed pay rates for the aircraft.

 

[dooork]

That must mean PDT will need to negotiate a new rate for the 70 seaters.
Hope its not $10 an hour less than Mesas 70 seat rate like the 50 seater is.

 

[jvrac]

...The aircraft are being studied as possible replacements for the older-generation Dash 8s in operation at US Airways regional subsidiary Piedmont Airlines, which according to Flight's ACAS database operates 72 Dash 8s - 48 -100s, 12 Q200s and 12 Q300s...

We operate 55 Dash 8s, if I am not mistaken. 11 -300s, 42 -100s, and 2 -200s which will be replaced by -100s in the near future. As far as I know, DP did not specifically say Piedmont would be getting them, just that they were considering the Q400s for the express fleet. I'm sure it will be a while though. Continental has the assembly line tied up for a few years with their Q400 orders. I'm sure IF we are offered them, we'll get some kind of offer like PSA got with the 900s.

 

[WSurf]

And I believe our largest fleet consisted of about 65 or 68 (PDT) when we were at our peak. ALG operated around 45 or so......... Jeez, in the last 5 years we have lost about 50% of our fleet!! Ouch!

 

[Quack]

Yeah I won't believe any of this until it's on the property and I am sitting in one. People around here keep on talking up the 400 like it's going to happen, but DP just mentioned the efficiency of the 400. When asked about the lifespan of a Dash, he could hardly tell you what one was, let alone the lifespan...Believe it when you see it!

 

[JohnnyP]

......

figures they would start revamping talks about the 400's right after i left, getting people all excited....

 

[LearLove]

"Continental has the assembly line tied up for a few years with their Q400 orders"

when did CAL or one of its conrtactors/partners order Q400's? Did I miss something.

At ALG's peek which was at the close of the Penn and Suburban merger ALG had a combined fleet of 57 aircraft (shorts, 1900 and other types but not 100% on that). Post merger ALG's peek fleet was around June 2002 at 55 Dash8's then the slow slide.

 

[asayankee]

I believe the article mntioned Q-Series.....that dosn't necessarily mean the Q400. There are models from the Q200-Q400.

 

[WSurf]

When asked about the lifespan of a Dash, he could hardly tell you what one was, let alone the lifespan...Believe it when you see it!

Naw, he knows what it is! It makes tons of money to put in his pocket, plus he and PDT CEO S. Farrow went on a test flight out in Tempe about 3 months ago.
I would guess that the Q300/400's would start a replacement process of phasing out some of the 50 Seat RJ's that do an hour or less flight.

 

[Weasil]

Asayankee said...

I believe the article mntioned Q-Series.....that dosn't necessarily mean the Q400. There are models from the Q200-Q400

.

According to a newsletter from the US major to its employees, published earlier this month, US Airways is in preliminary talks with Bombardier over a potential order for Dash 8 Q300s and Q400s.

.

Actually that's what it said