General Lee
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AMR, Pilots Mull Formal Pact For Asian Flights
Tuesday January 13, 4:22 pm ET
By Elizabeth Souder, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--AMR Corp. (NYSE:AMR - News)'s American Airlines, the world's largest airline, is talking to its pilots union about instituting a formal agreement to cover flights to Asia as the airline considers expanding its service there.
AMR spokesman Roger Frizzell said the airline currently has a verbal agreement for the pilots to operate flights as far as Japan and as long as 16 hours, known as super longhaul flights.
But as the airline considers adding more flights to Asia, including new service between Chicago and Hong Kong in 2005, Frizzell said AMR is looking for a formal agreement with the pilots union, called the Allied Pilots Association.
Currently, American operates five flights to Japan, and will add service between Los Angeles and Japan in April, Frizzell aid.
Union spokesman Gregg Overman said pilots had spoken with managers about a formal agreement a few years ago.
"For a variety of reasons, principally the push to cut costs, but also some of the difficulties Asia went through last year, it wasn't a priority," Overman said.
Now, the pilots and managers plan to revisit the topic, and plan to meet in coming days and weeks, Overman said.
Part of the discussions will be how many pilots should operate the flights, and what the crew make-up should be, he said. Also, the sides will discuss how the airline will handle the risk of emergency landings at difficult and possibly inhospitable airports, he said.
But Overman said pilots are pleased that the topic has come up.
"It's growth for a change," he said.
Major U.S. airlines in December saw growth in the number of passengers flying internationally, particularly to Asia. American said revenue passenger miles flown to the Pacific region rose 6.8% in December to 311.5 million. A revenue passenger mile represents one paying passenger flown one mile. Pacific capacity rose 1.4% in December and load factor improved 3.9 percentage points to 79.4%, among the regions with the strongest December load factors
I wish we could do some of that at DAL. All we have is one daily 777 from ATL to NRT. It did help us when the initial SARS scare came last year, but obviously growth in Asia and especially China over the next ten years will be huge. Maybe we can join in too---if we take some major paycuts.....
Bye Bye--General Lee
Tuesday January 13, 4:22 pm ET
By Elizabeth Souder, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--AMR Corp. (NYSE:AMR - News)'s American Airlines, the world's largest airline, is talking to its pilots union about instituting a formal agreement to cover flights to Asia as the airline considers expanding its service there.
AMR spokesman Roger Frizzell said the airline currently has a verbal agreement for the pilots to operate flights as far as Japan and as long as 16 hours, known as super longhaul flights.
But as the airline considers adding more flights to Asia, including new service between Chicago and Hong Kong in 2005, Frizzell said AMR is looking for a formal agreement with the pilots union, called the Allied Pilots Association.
Currently, American operates five flights to Japan, and will add service between Los Angeles and Japan in April, Frizzell aid.
Union spokesman Gregg Overman said pilots had spoken with managers about a formal agreement a few years ago.
"For a variety of reasons, principally the push to cut costs, but also some of the difficulties Asia went through last year, it wasn't a priority," Overman said.
Now, the pilots and managers plan to revisit the topic, and plan to meet in coming days and weeks, Overman said.
Part of the discussions will be how many pilots should operate the flights, and what the crew make-up should be, he said. Also, the sides will discuss how the airline will handle the risk of emergency landings at difficult and possibly inhospitable airports, he said.
But Overman said pilots are pleased that the topic has come up.
"It's growth for a change," he said.
Major U.S. airlines in December saw growth in the number of passengers flying internationally, particularly to Asia. American said revenue passenger miles flown to the Pacific region rose 6.8% in December to 311.5 million. A revenue passenger mile represents one paying passenger flown one mile. Pacific capacity rose 1.4% in December and load factor improved 3.9 percentage points to 79.4%, among the regions with the strongest December load factors
I wish we could do some of that at DAL. All we have is one daily 777 from ATL to NRT. It did help us when the initial SARS scare came last year, but obviously growth in Asia and especially China over the next ten years will be huge. Maybe we can join in too---if we take some major paycuts.....
Bye Bye--General Lee
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