As I understand it, older ones go to TT as the lease costs are significantly lower than the new ones. The older ones have their advantages! I'd say the only "advantage" from a pilot perspective is ACARS which might be retrofitted at some stage.
As for reliability, I can say that either old or new, I've found that we hardly ever have an MEL and even rarer is an inflight fault. Leaves every other multicrew type I've flown for dead.
F50, Ejet, A320 all great airplanes but ultimately the business decided on the 73 regardless of pax/pilot perception. I think the 73 fleet has consistently made money since day dot for QF and
VB/A. Ultimately even if the above were better it would be a total nightmare to convert all the 73 pilots to another narrow body.
Atlas, I think with the conversion being the entire fleet now, TT Fo's will gain experience and upgrade. Contractors? 73 being the most common type on the planet should be too hard to find someone to come down under for 18 months before they head off to China!
