US Airways’ June 27 announcement that it would replace Boeing 737-300s with de Havilland Dash 8s on its Charlotte to Asheville, N.C., route not only illustrated the continuing plight of the nation’s sixth-largest airline, it reinforced a trend long feared by mainline pilot groups. For years major airlines recognized the potential of their regional affiliates to fly more efficiently between city pairs once considered the exclusive domain of mainline operations. But not until the traffic declines following September 11 forced major airlines to reevaluate their presence in marginal markets had regional airlines taken such an active role in replacing or supplementing mainline service.
The move by US Airways came after the market produced an average load factor of 33 percent. Starting September 8, three new round trips flown by Piedmont Airlines with 50-seat de Havilland Dash 8-300s will replace the four daily Boeing 737 flights. Piedmont already provided complementary service on the route with five daily flights using a mix of 37- and 50-seat Dash 8s.
