Air Wisconsin and SkyWest Airlines remain guarded about placing additional regional jets with the United Express network until the bankrupt carrier reaffirms its contracts with the partner carriers and clarifies its ability and willingness to absorb the 50-seat aircraft on order.
United recently asked its three regional carriers to bid on supplying extra regional jets for its Express network in 2004, but without specifying any details and based on the assumption that pre-11 September 2001 financing would be available. This follows a relaxation in the scope clause agreement with the pilots' union, lifting limits on the number of 50-seat regional jets and permitting 70-seaters to be flown.
"United would like us to bid on the 70-seater, but how can you make a serious bid when you don't know the financing and number of aircraft?" asks Geoff Crowley, Air Wisconsin chief executive. The airline instead based its bid on its 20 reconfirmable Bombardier CRJ200 orders for 2004. Air Wisconsin does not have any CRJ700 delivery positions or options, and would have to convert some of its CRJ200 options.
SkyWest, which has options on 84 more CRJ200s, confirms its fleet plan could embrace 70- and even 90-seaters. "We will generally go in that direction, but at what speed and with whom...there's a lot of wild cards out there," says Jerry Atkin, SkyWest chief executive.
The Express operators are focused on United deciding on deliveries for the rest of this year and putting in place new flying contracts and rates within the next month.
Source: Flight International
