Alaska hiring

[Old School 737]

Alaska to trim pilot hiring from 120+ next year to about 70 .. Also SLC announcement ...

 

[turbodriver]

Source?

 

[CesnaCaptn]

From the Q3 conference call:

"Brandon S. Pedersen - Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, Vice President of Finance and Vice President of Finance-Alaska Airlines Inc

"Turning to capacity. We expect consolidated capacity to grow about 7% to 8% in 2013. The Alaska fleet will grow by a net of 7 aircraft over the next 15 months as we take delivery of 13 737-900ERs starting next month and retire 6 aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2013.

"An advantage we have, that the majority of our airplanes are owned versus leased, giving us a great deal of flexibility to adjust our fleet growth. An example of this flexibility is our recent decision to dispose of 3 additional 737-700 aircraft next year, bringing our planned retirements to the 6 aircraft I just mentioned compared to 3 originally planned."

I'm guessing that's why the number was revised down. Our hull growth will be 3 fewer through 2013. It will only be 7 instead of 10. If you include the few retirements plus growth and you get about 70. I'm guessing 70 will still be on the low side.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

One more tidbit from the conference call:

"Andrew Harrison - Vice President of Planning & Revenue Management

"Okay. That's okay. I was probably referring to Hawaii growth and how that is going to become much slower. What I will tell you is, Helane, that I think given the aircraft deliveries, we're looking about 7% to 8% growth next year. In the next 3 weeks, we will be announcing 3 new markets for 2013 for the mainline business, and from where I sit today, that will be it for new market in 2013."

Is management playing coy or are they scaling back their San Diego Plans? Also, is a market a city or city-pair?

 

[Old School 737]

SLC tomarrow .. Well be at solid 8% growth next year not the 7-8 as stated in conference call.. I'm guessing DTW next week and a CLT ?? The week after ?!?!,

 

[wscrj]

It'll all be better when the MD's are gone.....

 

[Boxboy]

Alaska only grows through attrition, which equates to no real growth. How is Flight Path working out for the employees?

 

[Mookie]

All sources I have point to hiring of at least 120 next year(confirmed today). Hopefully you're wrong about only 70...

Mookie

 

[igneousy2]

The 737-700 reductions was announced awhile ago, well prior to the conference call.

I will try to see what I can find out but I think when looking at hiring, management looks at a range. 70 seems low when you consider we are taking quite a few deliveries early and the a/c retirements are happening in Q4 so we will still need the pilots. 120 seems high as I don't think our training department right now is capable of hiring that many when you consider that our staffing is based on the majority of the check airmen flying the line in the summer so all of this training needs to happen in the shoulder months. I bet the truth lies somewhere inbetween the two extremes, which is 95 which is pretty much spot-on what we hired this year.

SLC announced this morning. I'll throw my guesses in as ABQ for #2 since I think it's the largest city that we can turn, that we don't have service to, and CHS for #3 because of the Boeing growth there which I think might offset the lack of population.

 

[Old School 737]

All sources I have point to hiring of at least 120 next year(confirmed today). Hopefully you're wrong about only 70...

Mookie

Seattle Base Chief told me yesterday.... very new news ...