Whilst Covid and post Max issues seemed like the best time ever to lease jets it has now turned around. The Boeing production issues, Covid slowdown, parts shortages, new engine issues and the post Covid surge in air travel is putting a huge pressure on aircraft pricing and lease costs. Not a good time to be procuring aircraft, new or old. I think we are going into a phase of hyper inflation for aviation, from aircraft and parts costs to staffing costs, good luck to any management in charge today. For everything smaller than a 737 the pressure is even greater with very little replacement options and high demand for a trickle of new builds.
As for the SAABs, Rex management dropped the ball probably 5-10 years ago. There will be no affordable turboprop come to market that will replace the SAAB. With such a large fleet Rex should have begun a fleet wide upgrade program in partnership with SAAB to zero time and modernize the fleet, the Maritime Patrol aircraft already had the zero time options all Rex had to do was to negotiate an airline version of this. There's even the possibility to install fuselage plugs and add more capacity and new engine and prop options that could be explored. I personally think it's too late now, just like any offers to retain significant staff morale should have been done years ago. Go cheap, get cheap outcomes....
Last edited by 43Inches; 25th Sep 2023 at 03:30.