When are the Saabs leaving at Mesaba?

[MALSR]

Any speculation? Lets face it, there's better airplanes suited for the same type of job that offer lower seat mile cost.

 

[Mesabi Miner]

Any chance we can focus on increasing the fleet size instead of shrinking it? There's been nothing grinding in the rumor mill regarding replacing the Saabs.

MM

 

[CptMurf]

Any speculation? Lets face it, there's better airplanes suited for the same type of job that offer lower seat mile cost.

35 knot crosswind limitation (XJ Limit), 2600 ft non-factored landing distance fully loaded, and 1000 pounds per hour feeding airports that we are the only game in town and keep our 30 seat airplanes full. I think it is the perfect airplane for our operation.

The CRJ's allow us to go into larger markets and growth opportunities, but our bread and butter has ALWAYS been the turboprop market. That is why the schedules have always been better on the SAAB.

Now back to the original question...They shortened the leases in the BK to surprisingly the same length that the pilot CBA was for, about 5.5 years (give or take). I'm sure this is the stick they will beat over our head next time.

 

[Hulk Hogan]

They start refurbishing the Saabs in the near future. Paint, cabin interior, and some work on the cockpits. Lot of wasted money if they dump them in the near future.

 

[JPAustin]

They (management) recognize the ROI on the Saabs. The 340 is still very viable, and it is a lot cheaper to refurb a perfectly good fleet that just needs a little TLC to look and act like any other "modern" turboprop fleet out there -- save of course a fleet of Q400s.

 

[norskman2]

That is why the schedules have always been better on the SAAB.

Curious. What's makes the Saab skaadules better?

 

[JPAustin]

Curious. What's makes the Saab skaadules better?

Lower profile hotels...

 

[DoinTime]

Lower profile hotels...

To bad they still don't let you throw the deck furniture in the pool.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

When are the Saabs leaving?

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KDTW/departures?;offset=0;sort=DESC;order=aircrafttype

There's your answer, Fishbulb.

 

[XJ-spartacus]

Ahhh, there's nothing like bad coffee on a cold CMX high speed. Except on those ones with less than 2 hours of ground time. Now that was fun. Doing reverse donuts in the crew car, in our uniforms, in the Walmart parking lot with big gulps of redbull, now that was a good time. Priceless.

-Spartacus

 

[BoilerUP]

Any speculation? Lets face it, there's better airplanes suited for the same type of job that offer lower seat mile cost.

Like what, a Caravan?

Its really too bad the Saab 2000 was a victim of timing :uzi:

 

[fly4ever]

Lower profile hotels...

Yeah! One floor, door to the parking lot, equipped with a shovel in the winter, keys on the counter at 12 midnight, room door unlocked anyway, BUT, probably the cleanest room you would ever stay 4 hrs in.....any guesses?!

The Bates Motel CMX - ahhh, the memories.

Also the winter drive into the Soo Quality Inn.....

and donuts in the parking lot, midnight visits to the casino etc.... PRICELESS!

I just don't miss those prime locations anymore!

 

[John Pennekamp]

Any speculation? Lets face it, there's better airplanes suited for the same type of job that offer lower seat mile cost.

You know what they say... when NWA retires the last Airbus the crew will deadhead home on a DC-9. Add to that, when NWA retires the last DC-9, the crew will deadhead home on a Saab.

 

[MALSR]

They start refurbishing the Saabs in the near future. Paint, cabin interior, and some work on the cockpits. Lot of wasted money if they dump them in the near future.

Yeah but they also did this to the Avros right up until they sent them to the desert.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

The Bates Motel CMX - ahhh, the memories.

For some reason I always slept great there. I don't know if it was the fresh air, or the thought of the yummy cinnamon rolls in that Tupperware container sitting out for us. . .

God I hated highspeeds.