AS Recalls?

[ImbracableCrunk]

What is an SLC?

Inter-island would be a terrible idea. Ask Hawaiian, Mesa, Aloha (RIP), Island Air, Mokulele, Molokai Air, Pacific Wings, HATS, exc.. There are more airlines than airports there.

So, what you're saying is Alaska Airlines is opening a Hawai'i base?

You read it here, first folks. The cat is out of the bag.

 

[QCappy]

What is an SLC?

SALT LAKE CITY

Have you been drinking too much of that fine American lager again?:beer:

 

[Green Banana]

Ouch, So obvious.
Sadly, all my favorite American lagers are foreign now, but I still look forward to buying you a few cases of choice hops!

 

[igneousy2]

MEC meeting to discuss "SEA ETOPS BASE"...anybody know what the terms of the ETOPS base will be?

 

[Going2Baja]

MEC meeting to discuss "SEA ETOPS BASE"...anybody know what the terms of the ETOPS base will be?

YEAH - Won't happen!

Baja.

 

[QCappy]

MEC meeting to discuss "SEA ETOPS BASE"...anybody know what the terms of the ETOPS base will be?

Many recalls.

 

[igneousy2]

YEAH - Won't happen!

Baja.

I hope you're right -- the only tlhing is the pit in the bottom of my stomach is telling me that they don't need to convine an emergency MEC meeting to do nothing.

 

[Green Banana]

Sadly, I have the feeling it will go something like this,

"Meeting, come to order. New Business, The company says they will be forced to displace 20% of the SEA base if we do not give them a SEA ETOPS base. (Booo). All in favor of a major displacement...(Crickets, Chirp, Chirp)...OK, All in favor of a new SEA ETOPS base? (Here! Here!). Motion Passes. Wham!

 

[tico]

The association will respond to this just like they did during contract negotiations..... with fear and greed tempered with large pilot ego's.... Alaska Airlines always gets exactly what they want, when they want it and at the price they want to pay.......would not count on any recalls in 2010

 

[igneousy2]

What is an SLC?

Inter-island would be a terrible idea. Ask Hawaiian, Mesa, Aloha (RIP), Island Air, Mokulele, Molokai Air, Pacific Wings, HATS, exc.. There are more airlines than airports there.

Not sure Inter-island would be a great idea, however, I do not believe that it is as bad an idea as you make it out to be.

It has never been tried by an airline with deep pockets and their own feed to/from the west coast.

First, if you asked Hawaiian, I don't think they would have many complaints right now. If you have enough traffic to regularly schedule a 767 on an 87 mile leg then your loads must be pretty good.

Mesa has the wrong airplane for the market. It's tough to make money with 50 seat RJ's in any market. Orienstien has said that the proper airplane for the market is the Dash 8-400 which he keeps talking about sending over to Hawaii. For Mesa, I think the Hawaii interisland market is more about losing less for the 50 seaters then they would lose if they were sitting in a dessert somewhere.

Aloha was privately held by a local family who made no secret that they wanted out and would not be investing any more money. They were flying dinosaurs and their only out was to be bought by someone. Aloha was hanging onto the edge by there fingertips when Mesa came to town...Mesa jumped up and down on those fingertips until Aloha finally let go. I don't think a 737-200 could make money in any passenger market in the United States right now.

Island Air was purchased by Charlie Willis as a toy for his son to play with. For some reason his son backed out and Robert Maraucher was hired to be CEO. Rob had enough vision to know that the absolutely perfect airplane for the Hawaii inter-island market is the Dash-8 400. They even got a couple of them. Unfortunately it was done with boat loads of debt and was improperly executed - they were paying the lease on the first airplane for 3 or 4 months before it ever carrierd a revenue passenger. Anyway, Charlie Willis refuses to put anymore money into island air so in the past 6 years they have gone from 3 airplanes to 7 or 8 to back to 3 airplanes today.

Mokulele was doing pretty well as a Part 135 niche carrier until it got into bed with a snake (Mesa) and got bit. They ended up being taken over by Republic which is still operating them today.

Pacific Wings is still doing well in their little corner with their Caravans as far as I know.

Mahalo Airlines would have done well with their ATR-42's had it not been for the CFO who was using the airline as a personal piggy bank.

Discover seemed to be doing well as a 3rd carrier until they were shut down after Hawaiian and Aloha complained about foreign ownership of Discover...apparently they were owned by the Japanese.

Mid Pacific: I was probably 6 or 7 when they were flying but I heard from one of their former pilots years later that they were doing great until management had the briliant (<-NOT!) idea of bringing in some jets.