However Stobart will be operating ATRs and the '72 is only marginally cheaper
to operate than the Q400. Add on Stobart's profit margin and I don't see how it
would be anyway advantageous to Flybe over just operating Q400s on the
route.
El Bunto;
I'm not sure that I follow. These are routes that Stobart Air would operate, it is not as if BE are selecting them to operate the routes instead of BE. It would be advantageous to BE as they would get franchise fee/ % of ticket sales. Assuming of course that it is BE we are talking about.
They happen to have different core fleets, though BE do have ATR outside of the UK.
EI-BUD