Reaction to September 11 brings mixed bag of cures
The regional airlines became an economic safety net of sorts after September 11, when the majors quickly realized they could not survive flying large airpl

The regional airlines became an economic safety net of sorts after September 11, when the majors quickly realized they could not survive flying large airplanes nearly empty. The options–cut flights and market presence entirely or replace mainline jets with smaller aircraft–presented airlines with a clear course of action. Code-sharing regional airliners quickly delivered cost-effective solutions.

But the transition could carry a hidden price tag. “These clearly are extraordinary conditions,” said Doug Abbey of AvStat Associates. This isn’t simply a matter of heaving off unwanted flights to lower-cost operations.” Abbey’s concern centered on clauses written into pilot contracts that limit the scope of regional affiliates’ operations to a given portion of mainline available seat miles (ASMs) or block hours.