Have I missed something here, the Q400 is nothing to do with Cobham and never will be. Esperence (ESP) is no different to Port Lincoln (PLC) in fact PLC is more limiting than ESP. Qantas has been lobbied by the WA communities in question and the WA Government for years. It was made quite clear years ago that these routes will no longer be exclusive.
This is a case of these communities getting what they want finally. QF's Q400
will be welcomed and supported, in my view it will be XR that will struggle, no different to REX over the eastern states where QF have rolled out the 400's over their regional routes.