ATA may fly smaller 100-seat jets. 717's

[vclean]

Latest "good" rumor: The B-717 will replace some of the S-340s, as C-8 pilots are furloughed they will be given a prefrrential hiring interview with ATA. Some of the S-340s will be used to probe new markets for the B-717s.

So if C8 furloughs, the newest fo's will interview before the capt's ?

 

[UM#1]

OKAY HOLD ON RIGHT THERE FOR A MINUTE... before we start rumors about furloughing C8 guys, we have to stop and not get ahead of ourselves. ATA does not have any orders for 717's, there are no negotiated pay rates, the pilots have not agreed to anything yet because the union hasn't even met with the company to negotiate anything yet, that happens next week, so the soonest the pilots will see anything (which must be voted on) will be over a week. Then the company will decided what they are going to do. At the road show the company stated there are 3 things they could do, the 717 plan, nothing, shrink(which they said really wasn't an option). Besides that anything could happen. Lets not scare these C8 guys into thinking that pink slips are coming....

 

[atafan]

UM#1,

This is the place for rumors and I stated that it was a rumor, so just relax......

I believe the B-717 deal is already done in principle and the company isn't waiting on this deal to see what the pilots will decide. The Company is fishing for some extra breathing room cash, the B-717s are on the way.

My previous message was primarily to get the C-8 pilots into action not just wait until the shoe drops, if it does.

 

[On Your Six]

This may have already been covered, but would the 717s also replace some of the 737-800s? Would any future fleet be 717, 757-200/300 and 767-300 (with maybe a few straggling L10-11s)? Is that the future for ATA? Would they really want 4-5 fleet types?

The 717 is a great airplane and it would be fun to fly...

 

[flyndesk]

From Atafan:

"The B-717 will replace some of the S-340s, as C-8 pilots are furloughed they will be given a prefrrential hiring interview with ATA."

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah we'll take the 800 hour wonders to fly the 717's. That's a good rumor.

The Company said they weren't getting rid of any of the Saabs. (Not that this means anything.) The 717's, they say, are for new markets, and markets we serve that would do better with say 6 flights a day in the 717 rather than 2 or 3 in the larger 737 or 757.

I doubt ATA will lower the hiring mins. We do like the Chico guys that come over, but they are captains with the PIC time.

 

[mach zero]

I talked to one of the CP's this week about the 717 deal. Since it could mean 50-100 new planes on the property, we will have to hire big time. In addition to upgrading all F/O's on property now (who want it), those who are in the leading edge of the hiring boom will be upgrading in short order as well. So we will be looking at hiring fairly high time people as a result since they will be upgrading in short order. IMHO the low time 800 hour wonders from C8 will not be considered...only the CA's. There's an ample supply of experienced airline folks on the street right now to choose from. The benefit that the low time C8 F/O's might get is a quicker SF-340 upgrade when they have the quals.

 

[storminpilot]

http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/040429/airlines_ata_1.html

Reuters -- ATA says may order Boeing or Embraer 100-seat jets
Thursday April 29, 3:22 pm ET
By Chris Stetkiewicz


SEATTLE, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. low-fare carrier ATA Airlines on Thursday said it was considering an order for 100-seat jetliners from either Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - News) or Embraer SA (Sao Paolo:EMBR3.SA - News) to expand into new routes and shrink its average aircraft size.

Indianapolis-based ATA, the No. 10 U.S. airline and a unit of ATA Holdings (NasdaqNM:ATAH - News), was weighing Boeing's 717 model against Embraer's 190 to augment its fleet of larger aircraft, including Boeing 737-800s and 757s.

"ATA airlines currently flies the largest number of seats on average of any scheduled carrier, which is yield-limiting in today's environment", said George Mikelsons, ATA's Chairman, President & CEO.

"Operating a fleet of 100-seat aircraft would provide a cost-effective and flexible means of expansion for ATA, while improving unit revenues," Mikelsons said in a prepared statement.

The carrier did not say how many aircraft it was considering.

A union official said the new aircraft would replace some of the 757-200s and -300s, seating 200 to 247 passengers, and the 175-seat 737s, which would be shifted to higher capacity routes.

"We would prefer Boeing, but we understand we need to get the best bang for the buck," Erik Engdahl, local chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association (News - Websites) , told Reuters by telephone.

Representatives for Boeing's Seattle-based jetliner unit and Brazil's Embraer were not immediately able to comment.

ATA is a long-standing Boeing customer and currently operates 66 jetliners, many of which were financed or leased with help from the manufacturer's Boeing Capital Corp. unit.

ATA also operates 17 smaller Saab 340B turboprop aircraft on short-haul regional routes.

ATA ordered 47 Boeing jets in 2000, of which nine have not yet been delivered, including two 737s due in 2004 and seven more pushed back to 2007.

The carrier in January restructured $300 million in debt, pushing back most of its payments to 2009 or 2010 and cementing a deal to cut its aircraft lease payments of $150 million, thereby avoiding bankruptcy.

Like many airlines, ATA suffered a serious cash crunch as air travel demand dried up following the Sept. 11, 2001, hijack attacks in the United States.

ATA is the largest carrier at Chicago's Midway Airport and said in February that it may launch flights to Europe by the summer of 2005.

 

[UM#1]

this is a clip from the press release from ATA:


The airline is presently discussing its fleet and growth plans with its
union leadership, and will require an addition to its current cockpit contract
rates before formally launching negotiations with the aircraft manufacturers.

They'll have to rethink those crap pay rates they mentioned at the roadshow or they will get a big fat "NO" from the pilot group....

read the rest here

ATA Press Release

 

[Metroman]

There are very few 800 hr wonders here at C8.

 

[Glideslope!]

800hrs!

there are more than a few pilots at C8 with 737, A320, and other types too along with some FO's who are typed in different A/C who also have the pic time to go with it. For quite a few quys and gals over here this isn't the first flying job they ever had.