Yes it's excellent news as many were hearing rumors about the positions being filled etc etc. All that and the fact that all the ATR's were being operated 'smoothly' didn't help with the anxiety.
With regards to the ATR to Q400 switch. From what i gather the current board was not a huge fan of the ATR's as they inherited the contracts/deal. There was even a rumor that a Q400 was coming down for some "testing". In my opinion it would have been an easier transition from the Q300 to the Q400's. The Q300's have served the airline well, that alone should have made it a done deal (not to mention its performance and reliability). Other than that you have the mean look of the Dash8...a very graceful bird.
From what a buddy of mine heard they are looking into all options, leasing, selling etc etc. I wouldn't doubt it as they are only taking 5 as opposed to the 9 initial purchase as they have gotten (i believe) a buyer for the remaining 4 aircraft. Plus the aircraft are always in need of some sort of maintenance is the word on the street. With regards to affordability of such a move who knows. Cal is government owned so, anything can happen...
@NoJoy
A buddy of mine did update his resume. He sent it via email and then called in HR to confirm they received the updated version.
The email is
[email protected] (as far as i know and have seen on PCC). You can always call HR and confirm this..to be on the safe side.