AQ 717s?

[RJP]

There's a really wordy article in the LA Times about Boeing wanting to keep selling 717s. Here's the only important part for AQ: "We're engaged in a number of campaigns that will result in orders of a pretty fair quantity," he said. In August, McKenna, an 18-year Boeing veteran, replaced James Phillips, who had run the 717 program since its inception.

McKenna declined to identify potential customers. But industry officials say several airlines have been looking at the 717 as a replacement for their aging DC-9s and MD-80s. German low-fare airline Germanwings said last week that it would lease and operate two 717s this winter to see if it wanted to acquire a fleet of them. Its leading rival, Hapag-Lloyd Express, also is considering buying 717s. And Aloha Airlines is said to be looking at acquiring the 717 for inter-island service in Hawaii.

Most airlines considering the 717 would use it for short-haul service. The single-aisle jet has a range of about 1,800 miles.



Here's the link but it requires a password to get in.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boeing17oct17,1,3803354.story?coll=la-home-business

 

[Sleepyhead]

AQ is also looking at a few other aircraft.

 

[Trash8Mofo]

AQ is also looking at a few other aircraft.

They are waiting to see what else they could find in the desert in the coming months. Makes sense, why buy brand-new if you can buy the demo ride. Anyways, a friend of mine who has some street-creds says that should AQ become a two-fleet airline, they would need an additional 100 pilots two staff the two types.

 

[English]

Anyways, a friend of mine who has some street-creds says that should AQ become a two-fleet airline, they would need an additional 100 pilots two staff the two types.

Interesting...the rumor is already spreading at AQ about us possibly hiring 100 pilots next year. Maybe this is where it came from.

 

[Pull & Rotate]

We already have two seperate pilot groups. I don't see how we would need 100 extra pilots to have two different types. However, there would be a huge training bubble.

 

[islandhopper]

They are waiting to see what else they could find in the desert in the coming months. Makes sense, why buy brand-new if you can buy the demo ride. Anyways, a friend of mine who has some street-creds says that should AQ become a two-fleet airline, they would need an additional 100 pilots two staff the two types.

I'm not holding my breath. Not too long ago I heard Hawaiian needed 100 pilots. Turned out they needed 100 pilots on the street!

If these pencil pushing bean counters see a certain plan that calls for staffing of 100 more pilots I am sure they will axe that plan first!

This airline sees adding on three airplanes a year as "phenomenal growth" 100 pilots would be the equivelent of seven airplanes, or more than double the kind of growth we have ever seen. Training bubble for sure but +100 is a little extreme for a training bubble.

 

[RJP]

They are waiting to see what else they could find in the desert in the coming months. Makes sense, why buy brand-new if you can buy the demo ride. Anyways, a friend of mine who has some street-creds says that should AQ become a two-fleet airline, they would need an additional 100 pilots two staff the two types.

Hmmmmm. There's over 90 at WP now. Maybe they're going to be a "two-fleet" airline with DHC-8 again?

 

[Sleepyhead]

should AQ become a two-fleet airline

well AQ is already a 2 fleet airline.. So there goes some of your friend's street- cred.

I don't see a big training bubble. They will most likely bring the replacement aircraft on-line one at a time.
As for needing 100 pilots, don't think so.
Look at the schedule right now, we have a bunch of -200 reserves doing nothing.

One more thing about the EMB. I was told there are no EMB sims on the west coast. That would have to be factored into the training costs, thereby raising the total cost of the airplane. I think that gives the 717 the edge.

 

[English]

I heard Boeing is offering to put a 717 simulator in Honolulu as part of the deal during transition training, to sweeten the deal a bit.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Anyone wonder why AQ would "sell off" WP so they could reach their "full potential" and then go out and invest in an entire new interisland fleet to compete again with WP????

 

[dash8driver]

Anyone wonder why AQ would "sell off" WP so they could reach their "full potential" and then go out and invest in an entire new interisland fleet to compete again with WP????

i do..

it seems odd, i could only think of one reason. i dont think its the only reason, its just the only one that i could come up with, and i'm not saying its going to happen. IF there were to be a merger in hawaii that would leave only one company, one of the obstacles would be the monopoly issue. one way to get around that is to spin off island air, let them reach their full potential and now they are viable competition and a merger would no longer create a monopoly and an unfair marketplace for consumers. this was one of the issues during the original merger with brenneman.

however, i dont really think a merger is in the works. i think that window has come and gone. this is just the only reason i could come up with for creating your own competition.

anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Freight Dog]

I don't put too much stock in the 100 new pilots rumor. Too many -200 reserves sitting around doing nothing. Even with the new schedule in December and retirements... there will still be quite a few reserves. Take away night cargo next year sometime... I just don't get it.

 

[dash8driver]

I don't put too much stock in the 100 new pilots rumor. Too many -200 reserves sitting around doing nothing. Even with the new schedule in December and retirements... there will still be quite a few reserves. Take away night cargo next year sometime... I just don't get it.

yea.. its very strange.. but apparently all will make sense when it all becomes public....

 

[islandhopper]

yea.. its very strange.. but apparently all will make sense when it all becomes public....

I share your cynicism, this is becoming strangely familiar territory for me. Only thing this time I actually like my company, and I will not drag our reputation through the toilet by posting all our dirty laundry on flightinfo.

no airline is perfect, our issues are not uncommon to airlines these days.

And I left the car biz because I thought THEY were corrupt!

 

[Sleepyhead]

Anyone wonder why AQ would "sell off" WP so they could reach their "full potential" and then go out and invest in an entire new interisland fleet to compete again with WP????

Well my bet is they never really sold it.
There has been talk that the sale contract still has AQ having some control of WP. Also, the Z-man has said that they could buy it back any time. That doesn't sound like a sale to me.
Sounds more like when you "sell " your boat to your buddy because you are going through a divorce and you don't want your wife to get it.

 

[Trash8Mofo]

Anyone wonder why AQ would "sell off" WP so they could reach their "full potential" and then go out and invest in an entire new interisland fleet to compete again with WP????

Well, because AQ and HA was allowed to fix and match their schedules for a year, whats left of them, I suspect, are at max efficency. The fat has been trimmed. Which makes sense to sell WP because: a) AQ can retain the customers by codesharing. b) Most of the profit still go to AQ, I suspect, C) selling WP probably improve the bal sheet for a better lease deal that is up coming.

 

[RJP]

The Chings and Ings must be waiting for HAL to come out of protection so they can sell them AQ, sell cargo and contract services to the guy that owns WP, then get him to sell both of those back with this mysterious "buy-back" clause.

End result is a larger carrier for Hawaii flying 767/717/-700. Competition is provided by the fully independent WP flying Q400s or RJs as well as some left-over DHC-8-100s for Kapalua and Molokai.

Could happen.

 

[Nalo Boy]

hehe

I heard from a "credible source" that theyre hiring those 100 guys to man the panel in the new fleet of 747's were getting for our san diego service.

 

[RJP]

I heard from a "credible source" that theyre hiring those 100 guys to man the panel in the new fleet of 747's were getting for our san diego service.

Was that "street cred" or just "cred"?

 

[Nalo Boy]

Oh..just cred, must be BS then