Originally Posted by
tail wheel
The difference is capital costs and probably lower operator overheads. The last of 283 Fokker 100's (113 remain in service) is now 21 years old and infinitely cheaper to acquire than a comparable new, modern technology aircraft.
100 hours per month average will never pay for a new aircraft.
The same philosophy applies to SAAB 340/2000, Fokker 50 and possibly DHC-8-100.
I hear you but with respect, Alliance's Fokkers might do 100 hours or even less per month because they have so many of them and they are not a full-on RPT airline. I'd be amazed if many of the QLink B717s (and Rex Saabs for that matter) ever get that low. There's nothing wrong with the B717s as aircraft go, it's just that it is getting hard to buy any more of them, they are not young and the only obvious replacement or supplement seems to be used EJets as suggested above.