The South Tyrolean airline Skyalps intends to add at least ten more de Havilland Dash 8-400 to its fleet. However, they do not want to use these primarily in their own commercial route network, but in the context of ACMI orders for other airlines.

Specifically, Skyalps sees great potential for so-called Capacity Purchase Agreements (CPA). This form of cooperation is quite common in the USA, because large airlines such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines or American Airlines buy additional capacities from regional carriers within the framework of such agreements. These serve a large number of predefined routes. As a result, the operation of smaller models such as Embraer E-Jets, Bombardier CRJs or turboprop models has been outsourced to subcontractors such as Mesa Airlines.

In Europe, this form of cooperation between airlines that have suitable regional machines has become rather rare. In the past, the Lufthansa Group had similar agreements with the then independent providers Eurowings, Contact Air and Augsburg Airways. Originally, "Team Lufthansa" was a franchise association in which Cirrus Airlines and Rheintalflug also used the crane brand and its sales channels for a license fee. The form of cooperation was later changed so that Cityline, Contact Air, Augsburg Airways and Eurowings flew on behalf of and thus on the account of Lufthansa. The dissolution of Lufthansa Regional began with a blue letter to Contact Air and around a year later Augsburg Airways was also affected. Both carriers mentioned no longer exist today.

CPA business in Europe rather the exception

Lufthansa now only uses wet lease services from airlines in which it does not have a stake in exceptional cases. However, these are not classic regional flights, but, for example, Finnair flew on behalf of Eurowings Discover or Air Baltic for Swiss and Eurowings. The last "CPA-like" agreement in the regional segment was between Eurowings and Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter, with LGW having to file for bankruptcy at the beginning of the corona pandemic as the wet lease agreement covering the de Havilland Dash 8-400 fleet was terminated .

In the United States of America, the scope of CPA contracts between large and "small" carriers is significantly larger. In some cases, hundreds of aircraft are operated for one or more providers. This enormous level of outsourcing to subcontractors is not yet available in Europe, but Mesa Airlines believes that there is great market potential for this in Europe. For this reason, Flite, based in Malta, was founded together with a partner. Their first customer is the house brand of Klagenfurt Airport, Liliair.

Skyalps obviously feels that there is a significant need in the Dash 8-400 range. This could also be related to the fact that some network carriers have withdrawn from regional routes because they no longer have the right aircraft in their fleet. Recent example: Eurowings will discontinue Linz-Düsseldorf, because the use of Airbus jets has proven to be uneconomical. Previously this route was served by Austrian Airlines with de Havilland Dash 8-400 for many years.

Ita Airways and Aeroitalia are said to be interested

However, Skyalps is not very talkative about possible customers. The local portal Italiavola writes that there should be intensive negotiations with Ita Airways. For this carrier, machines of the type de Havilland Dash 8-400 could be stationed at various Italian airports and feeder flights to Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Linate could be carried out. The scope of the collaboration would employ roughly ten machines. The airline based in Bolzano is also said to be in talks with other airlines. Accordingly, there are unconfirmed rumors that Aeroitalia also wants to make the Dash 8-400 palatable. This provider currently also uses ATR72-600 powered by Air Connect.

Skyalps originally started out as a so-called virtual airline. The operational execution of the flights was carried out by the Maltese Luxwing. In the meantime, Enac has granted AOC and operating permits. It is therefore an independent airline and, in addition to the Bolzano business, which is offered on its own account, it is trying to grow with feeder and wet lease flights. The fleet will remain registered in the Malta register. This also applies to newcomers. At least for the time being, they want to specialize in de Havilland Dash 8-400. Previously there was talk that Embraer 170 or E190 could complement the fleet, but these are more long-term considerations.