I appreciate your attempt to keep my facts straight, however....you are the one having difficulty with the facts. There was an initial award of 12 planes like you said, then...
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2005/04/04/daily1.html
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. is losing some of its United Express routes to rival carriers under new agreements announced Monday by
United Airlines.
United Airlines said that it has reached agreements with existing United Express carrier
SkyWest Airlines and
GoJet Airlines, a subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, to provide approximately 30 aircraft that will operate under the United Express name by the first quarter of 2006.
The move is part of cost-cutting efforts by Chicago-based United Airlines, which announced in November 2004 that it would rebid some of the regional routes flown by Air Wisconsin, Appleton. Air Wisconsin flies more than 500 flights daily serving United Airlines' Chicago, Denver and Washington, D.C., hubs.
The agreements with SkyWest and GoJet are a result of the November request for proposals, United said. Of these 30 aircraft, SkyWest will operate 20 and GoJet will operate 10 70-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft under the United Express brand. The first aircraft, operated by GoJet, will begin flying in August on routes to be announced at a later date.
To accommodate the new flights, St. George, Utah-based SkyWest said it would spend $637 million to add 20 jets to an order with Bombardier, Montreal, raising the total order to 52 jets. SkyWest is the largest United Express carrier.
St. Louis-based GoJet announced March 14 that it would spend $317 million on 10 new Bombardier aircraft to cover new flights.
United said the 30 new aircraft will fly some of the routes previously flown by Air Wisconsin. United did not disclose how many Air Wisconsin flights would be affected.
Air Wisconsin still has the option of adding some regional flights under the
US Airways Express name under a financing agreement between Air Wisconsin's financing arm Eastshore Aviation and bankrupt Arlington, Va.-based US Airways. Under the agreement, Air Wisconsin is investing $125 million toward US Airways emergence from bankruptcy, which can be converted into an ownership interest in the airline. The agreement also includes options for Air Wisconsin to assume some US Airways Express flights.
United (OTCBB: UALAQ) also is considering reductions in the United Express fleet to further reduce spending on U.S. domestic capacity, given high fuel prices and the current fare levels. United made the announcement to employees last month.
