ASA to retire 7 ATR's

[Oakum_Boy]

Certainly will slow hiring...

 

[180ToTheMarker]

Documentation?

 

[XRMEFLYER]

Certainly will slow hiring...

What's the Source? Any plans for a replacement? More 700s after the Delta pilot's concessions?

 

[FL000]

2 recent captain awards were canceled today. That's all I have right now.

 

[~~~^~~~]

The ATR's will leave in October ( at a rate of one per month ) and pilot hiring will be adjusted. Seven airplanes represent 37% or the ATR fleet, about 80 pilots.

The source of the information is the Company's web site.

There were rumors of this coming from maintenance staff. The "PEC's" are ATR's with electronic propeller controls and more automation. They were the first ATR's to have leases expire.

There could be several reasons for the non-renewal of the leases. Delta's credit standing probably did not help and whoever figured out that 25 RJ's have nearly an identical number of seats as the ATR's might have been on to something.

The ATR is a good airplane and remarkably efficient. With the ATR fleet down to 12 airplanes I wonder if there will be justification for the expense of maintaining the fleet type? The Company memo says that of the other 12 ATR's, four are owned and four are leased until 2007.

~~~^~~~

 

[MedFlyer]

The ATR is a good airplane and remarkable efficient. Hate to see it go while it is making money to keep us floating. With the ATR fleet down to 12 airplanes I wonder if there will be justification for the expense of maintaining the fleet type?

~~~^~~~

That would be my question. I wouldn't be surprised if the ATR's are completely gone by next fall (if not sooner).

The ATR's really are the superior aircraft for the short-haul stuff out of ATL. However, the need to cut costs by reducing a fleet type might outweigh that superiority.

 

[sleepy]

Who didn't know that this was coming. The 25 CRJ's will simply replace the ATR's. No real growth. The whole RFP thing was a sham!

 

[777_Jackpot]

The ATR's will leave in October ( at a rate of one per month ) and pilot hiring will be adjusted. Seven airplanes represent 37% or the ATR fleet, about 80 pilots.
~~~^~~~

With the reduction in October, does anyone know if any more new hires get the ATR? What about the ones that had already gotten it?


777JP

 

[Oakum_Boy]

Who didn't know that this was coming. The 25 CRJ's will simply replace the ATR's. No real growth. The whole RFP thing was a sham!

No doubt. Skip basically promised upgrades to all those FO's.
Some were willing to sacrifice our contract for that precious left-hand seat. Thank the ASA MEC for being smarter than that!!!

NEVER NEVER BELIEVE MANAGEMENT!!!

 

[probablecause]

Memos

To:

All ASA Team Members

From:

Skip Barnette, President

Date:

June 29, 2004

Subject:

Retirement Of Seven ATR-72s




ASA has notified ATR that seven ATR-72 aircraft will be retired from service this winter to reduce our overall maintenance, training and lease expenses. As I communicated to you last fall during Delta Connection’s growth aircraft proposal process, ASA’s ability to grow depends on delivering the highest quality product at the lowest possible cost. Reducing the number of ATR-72s in our fleet represents another opportunity to reduce costs and improve service.



With the retirement of these aircraft, ASA will remove a unique subset of ATR aircraft from the fleet – ships N530AS through N536AS. These aircraft were added to the fleet in 2000 to provide additional capacity in short-haul markets from Atlanta where demand was greatest. In today’s environment, demand in short-haul markets can be met with a mix of 40-, 50- and 70-seat jets, as well as the remaining 12 ATRs. Additionally, these seven aircraft have a slightly different configuration than the remaining ATRs, which increases the cost to maintain this fleet subtype.



The first ATR-72 will be removed from service in October to facilitate returns to ATR beginning in November. Subsequent retirements will follow at a rate of approximately one per month as each aircraft lease expires. ASA will continue to operate a fleet of 12 ATR-72s for the foreseeable future, as leases on eight of the remaining aircraft do not expire until 2007, while four aircraft are owned.

At this time, it is not clear how the retirement of seven ATRs will impact flight schedules. ASA will work closely with Delta Network Management to minimize customer and team member impact. We do expect that approximately 80 ASA pilots will go through aircraft-specific training to fly jet equipment as part of this transition. Additionally, the retirement of seven aircraft from our fleet will result in a small reduction in the total number of new crewmembers we plan to hire in 2005.



In today’s economic climate, it remains critical that we take every opportunity to increase our efficiency and cost effectiveness. We will continue to pursue opportunities to better position ASA for future growth as our industry recovers.





Thank you for all you continue to do to make ASA a leader in service and efficiency.

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

Memos

To:

All ASA Team Members

From:

Skip Barnette, President

Date:

June 29, 2004

Subject:

Retirement Of Seven ATR-72s




ASA has notified ATR that seven ATR-72 aircraft will be retired from service this winter to reduce our overall maintenance, training and lease expenses. As I communicated to you last fall during Delta Connection’s growth aircraft proposal process, ASA’s ability to grow depends on delivering the highest quality product at the lowest possible cost. Reducing the number of ATR-72s in our fleet represents another opportunity to reduce costs and improve service.



With the retirement of these aircraft, ASA will remove a unique subset of ATR aircraft from the fleet – ships N530AS through N536AS. These aircraft were added to the fleet in 2000 to provide additional capacity in short-haul markets from Atlanta where demand was greatest. In today’s environment, demand in short-haul markets can be met with a mix of 40-, 50- and 70-seat jets, as well as the remaining 12 ATRs. Additionally, these seven aircraft have a slightly different configuration than the remaining ATRs, which increases the cost to maintain this fleet subtype.



The first ATR-72 will be removed from service in October to facilitate returns to ATR beginning in November. Subsequent retirements will follow at a rate of approximately one per month as each aircraft lease expires. ASA will continue to operate a fleet of 12 ATR-72s for the foreseeable future, as leases on eight of the remaining aircraft do not expire until 2007, while four aircraft are owned.

At this time, it is not clear how the retirement of seven ATRs will impact flight schedules. ASA will work closely with Delta Network Management to minimize customer and team member impact. We do expect that approximately 80 ASA pilots will go through aircraft-specific training to fly jet equipment as part of this transition. Additionally, the retirement of seven aircraft from our fleet will result in a small reduction in the total number of new crewmembers we plan to hire in 2005.



In today’s economic climate, it remains critical that we take every opportunity to increase our efficiency and cost effectiveness. We will continue to pursue opportunities to better position ASA for future growth as our industry recovers.





Thank you for all you continue to do to make ASA a leader in service and efficiency.

And the lies continue. The RPT RFP, or what ever they called it WAS and IS a scam.

Those airplanes will go where they want them and nothing we do will influence that.

 

[WSurf]

Thought I remember reading, or a friend at ASA told me that the ATR's were gonna be replaced by Dash 8 Q-400's... Did any of you guys ever hear that?

 

[asarjfo]

That rumor has been floating around for a couple of years. Looks like the plan is to replace them with the RJ, no real growth here.....again. I can not imagine the company only keeping 12 airplanes around for any signifigant period of time, no matter when the lease is up.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Fell better now

 

[sleepy]

For you ATR guys and gals, remember how they abused us when the E-120 went away. My advice is to get off of that ATR ASAP.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Sleepy - can you tell us more? What happened to the E-120 pilots?

 

[sleepy]

Sleepy - can you tell us more? What happened to the E-120 pilots?

Mostly the schedules get really crappy as the number of aircraft shrinks. Also, it is easier to get out at the beginning. Towards the end they won't let anybody leave the aircraft until they are all gone. Then you will have some Capts likely displaced to FO in ATL or sent to DFW.

 

[Palerider957]

What happened to E-120 drivers?? Bad ju ju, that's for sure. We were short-called EVERY day, extended probably every other day. The last year for the E-120 I flew almost every reserve day (all but 7 I think), and only 5 weren't short calls.


A part of this was due to jet downgrades that rolled on to the E-120. This probably wouldn't be a problem with the ATR.

Bad memories, from bad days.

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

Sleepy - can you tell us more? What happened to the E-120 pilots?

We don't know....they still haven't found their bodies.

 

[Palerider957]

We don't know....they still haven't found their bodies.

...now that's funny. If I had to live through that again, I'd change careers.

 

[sleepy]

Every body in the bottom 1/3 of the CR2, CR7, and ATR seniority lists had better get those bid forms ready for the big displacement.