Originally Posted by
Saabdriver1
For one, I am so glad no-one listens to armchair banter like this as the basis for making decisions.
The Q4 is a very different and much more complex aircraft and also one which is out of production so comes with all of the problems of spare parts supply and lack of proper OEM support. Listening to some of the ex-Flybe crews about the troubles they had with them, it’s best avoided.
Any fleet changeover like this costs several million quid in training for pilots and engineers, re-tooling and lost productivity during the changeover. On top of replacing 340s with ATRs, trying to change 145s for Q4s at the same time would be a total disaster. It’s easy to say “do this, do that” but when you’ve no understanding of the full extent of what’s actually involved, it’s best left alone.
For those airlines who already have Q4s like Wideroe and Luxair, know the aeroplane and have the support internally for them (and same goes for Loganair with the 145s) then sticking with the fleet and even getting a few more is logical. For an airline re-fleeting, why would you go for an aircraft which is already obsolete?
I remember being told that we were offered a fleet of Q4s free of lease charges after Flybe collapsed first time. The leasing company was told that even that wasn’t cheap enough. I doubt the same offers remain on the table today so the economics will be even worse.
I see your points but my comments were merely linked to the fact if LM were a bit bolder they could be in a better position to offer lower fairs and compete with any low cost operator if they had moved away from operating small business jets on the Scottish routes. Agreed that there is a lot involved with a fleet change. I personally think LM will be fine and will still have a presence at SOU.