Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
US Airways Express has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 100 small regional jets and options for up to 300 larger aircraft for its subsidiary and affiliate regional operators.
The RFP specifies a firm requirement for an initial 100 regional jets seating 30-40 passengers. It also includes follow-on options on 100 more 40/50-seat aircraft and a third phase of about 200 even larger 50/69-seat jets.
US Airways envisages acquiring the aircraft over five to six years, beginning next year.
"There will be a time value attached to who can deliver first," says a senior US Airways Express executive, "but it's a more elaborate study than just that and there will be a whole gambit of other considerations, such as maintainability, reliability and passenger acceptance. The RFP is to try to solicit inputs on these facets."
US Airways Express' immediate focus is on re-equipping its three wholly owned regional carriers, now operating all-turboprop fleets. Pennsylvania-based Allegheny has 47 de Havilland Dash 8-100s, Maryland-based Piedmont has 51 and Ohio-based PSA operates 25 Fairchild Dornier 328 turboprops.
The RFP also makes provision for re-equipping US Airways Express' affiliated airlines, some of which have already launched their own evaluations. Phoenix-based Mesa expects to place an order soon for 40 jets with 50 seats and Indiana-based Chautauqua is looking to replace its 19 leased British Aerospace Jetstream 31s from next year.
The US Airways Express RFP will almost certainly draw a response from Bombardier, offering the 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series 200 and new 70-seat CRJ-700, from Embraer, proposing its RJ-135/145 and newly launched 70-seat ERJ-170, and Fairchild, which will pitch the 32/ 44-seat 328/438JET and new 728JET.
A potential obstacle to US Airways Express ordering any regional jets will be the airlines' scope clause contracts with their pilots. Under an agreement not due to expire until 2003, US Airways' regional carriers are limited to no more than 35 jets seating 69 or fewer passengers.
The airline recently requested the local branch of the Air Line Pilots Association to open talks on increasing the number of permitted regional jets to 400.
Source: Flight International
