samballs

For delta to keep scope solid they would have to get it back.

crewman

The CRJ/ERJ 50 seaters are like zombies allready dead.

Al Czervik

Yes. I can't remember the last time I saw a crj 200 or e145.

saab2000

This. They are in a slow decline but rumors of their demise are greatly exaggerated. They'll be around for years to come.

What

Of course they will be around for years to come. The airlines can't just gut them overnight. I believe the jungle 50 seater is the only one currently in production. 50 seaters were great (for bean counter) when there was a surplus of pilots (low cost labor) and lower fuel prices. As the price of oil climbs, maintenance expenses increase and the pilot pool decreases these airplanes will be parked due to economical factors. The 50 seaters are a thing of the past with regards of airlines buying new ones but they are a thing of the present operations, these airplanes continue to provide leverage in contract negotiations and whipsaw (regional-regional). But as AMR UniCAL reach agreements with their employee groups, airlines continue consolidation, senior pilots sail into the sunset with less pilots entering the industry these airplanes will be parked due to the economical factors. The Q400 will continue to gain market share and as SCOPE is negotiated we might see more of these aircraft instead of the jungle jet or the little tank.

DryMotorBoatin

+1 Samuel Clemens

saab2000

I don't think there are any 50-seaters being produced at the moment and very few CRJ-700/900s. Very few.

Obviously they are being drawn down slowly with the Mesa and Comair ones slowly going away.

They will disappear eventually of course but I'd be willing to bet that we'll see them in large numbers for at least the next 5-7 years. When they start coming up for large MX checks we might see a slow drawdown.

There's no doubt the costs are high on them but if the airframes are paid for the total operational costs is much lower than buying new airplanes. And they're not so young anymore so there is some of the some mentality that kept the NWA DC-9s in the air for so long.

I'll keep flying mine until someone else offers me a better job or my airline sells them.

DryMotorBoatin

It'll be interesting in the future. As fuel gets more expensive, the bigger airplanes become more economical. But eventually the regionals will run into scope preventing them from flying any bigger airplanes. Eventually those 70 seaters won't be ecomomical and theyll go the way of the 50 seat airplanes. I could see most regionals back to props within 15 years or so.

DirectTo

The smallest props made currently are what now, the ATR 72 and Q400?

Though I'd bet the trip costs for an ATR/Q4 are less than an ERJ-145/CRJ-200, I'm not sure a ton of routes could support a 70+ seat airplane with much regularity. I think we'll see reductions in addition to the swap back to props on most all short routes.

seafeye

Yep, what gets me is that people always criticize reporters cause they don't know jack, and then when this article comes out like this they all believe it.
***NEWS FLASH***
Reporters don't' know Jack.
Write them an e-mail. Ask them the difference in fuel burn of a 200 vs a 700 or a 900?
It costs an average of $14/person/hour to fly on a CRJ 700 for fuel.
That number is about $16 on a CRJ 200. These were based on JET A at $2.00 a gallon. Ok that number is old but the difference isn't. Right now it's about $4 spread between a 200 and a 700. But now you have 1 more lav, 1 more Hag, and more free drinks to give out.

Bottom line is that the sky isn't falling with the 50 seaters. Don't believe reporters and never ever believe management.