Al Coholic
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2004
- Posts
- 157
FROM: Fred Buttrell, Comair President
RE: On the Move
After spending my first two weeks entrenched in our operations and getting to know Comair people, I
would like to thank you for the warm welcome and the great feedback about our airline. From my many
conversations, I heard several themes repeatedly including frustration about our operational performance,
uncertainty about our future and job security, and fostering a one-team approach. Overall, I would say
everyone feels our industry and company are at an important juncture. Through first-hand observations
and listening to you, we are ready to take action on the three focus areas outlined in my initial letter last
week.
Regarding [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]operational integrity for safe and reliable operations[/font], we can do a better job at minimizing
flight cancellations caused by maintenance issues. These can create a snowball effect for aircraft and crew
swaps, resulting in tough situations for the front line throughout the day. Our maintenance team is
working hard but we need to have more touch points in the system to clear maintenance items. To that
end, we are going to double our overnight maintenance capacity and the number of aircraft touched by
Comair mechanics. We are opening an overnight hangar and maintenance base in Greensboro, N.C. as
well as adding four line maintenance bases in Lexington, Akron Canton, Knoxville and Raleigh Durham.
We are also adding Mobile One capability in Greensboro and Raleigh. This significantly increases the
reliability of our aircraft by addressing maintenance items, APUs, lavatories and other minimum
equipment list (MEL) issues. By reducing our third party maintenance, the additional capacity will be
self-funded. Additional information on the increased maintenance capacity will be shared next week.
Beyond the maintenance bases, we are assessing our support systems, such as crew scheduling,
maintenance tracking, etc., to provide sufficient tools for our team to do their jobs well. In our vital hub
operations, we are recruiting and training additional ramp staff as well as making improvements to the
deicing process. We are taking a critical look at reducing the number of crew swaps and how we flow
crews throughout the network to ensure the best crew availability for operational needs. Supplemental
crew bases are being considered. All of these things will help minimize significant impacts from irregular
operations in the future. We have a lot of work to do in the operation and you will see more initiatives in
the coming weeks and months.
To improve [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]customer service excellence, [/font]we will be working with Delta to address policies that make it
difficult to be at our best. In fact, two critical policies change March 1. We will bring the authorization
levels down to the capacity of the aircraft, thereby eliminating over-sales. We will also align the deniedboarding
compensation for Comair to be consistent with Delta’s. There is an emphasis on increasing
customer-facing technology, such as adding kiosks in 15 of our field locations (ABE, BGR, BUF, CAK,
DSM, FWA, GRR, ISP, MDT, MDW, MHT, OMA, ROC, SBN, TOL). Delta Direct will be available in
Concourse C by mid-summer and we are taking another look at customer information displays for
departures in CVG. In making these changes, we will create a better environment for our people to have a
caring approach with customers and each other.
To execute Comair’s viability plan for the next decade, we need [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]a winning growth strategy [/font]that will
ensure Comair is here 10 years from now. I want Comair to fly the ERJ 170, a 70-seat aircraft with stateof-
the-art technology and superior customer comfort features. I view moving into this equipment type as
critical. Just like Comair made the innovative move in 1993 to be a CRJ provider, we have to make an
innovative step now for the next 10 years.
The only way to provide greater job stability is to keep the company growing. In my meetings with you, I
said we needed to find a winning growth strategy to position us for the future. We have started on that
path with our recent tentative agreement with the International Association of Machinists (IAM). We need
to begin that process with pilots and flight attendants in order to position ourselves to grow. [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]I am not
asking pilots and flight attendants for a pay cut. [/font]However, I am asking that we not dig the hole deeper.
I [font=TimesNewRoman,Italic]am [/font]asking pilots and flight attendants for a pay freeze, commencing with the first growth aircraft
delivery, combined with a one-year extension to the pilot and flight attendant collective bargaining
agreements. In exchange, we will commit to at least 10 additional CRJ 200s and 25 additional 70-seat
aircraft. If circumstances change and these additional airplanes do not come to Comair, these changes to
the pilot and flight attendant contracts will be nullified.
Maintaining current pay levels is consistent with our other workgroups. As announced in December,
management and non-represented groups will not receive pay increases this year and have had pay freezes
in other recent years. We reached a tentative agreement yesterday with the IAM that keeps our mechanics
competitive with the marketplace. Because I believe leaders should walk the talk, I will be taking a 10%
pay cut as will all the officers beginning March 1. As part of operating as one team, all work groups will
be included in the Performance Pay Program commencing with the agreed upon proposal.
The specifics of the proposal have been shared with the leaders of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). They are:
1. One-year contract extensions, making the pilot agreement amendable in May 2007 and the flight
attendant agreement amendable in July 2008;
2. A pay freeze, including longevity increases, for the period of the contract;
3. For pilots, new equipment seat freezes extended to 30 months for captain and first officer
positions.
If the proposal is agreed to, the guarantee for the Comair team includes:
RE: On the Move
After spending my first two weeks entrenched in our operations and getting to know Comair people, I
would like to thank you for the warm welcome and the great feedback about our airline. From my many
conversations, I heard several themes repeatedly including frustration about our operational performance,
uncertainty about our future and job security, and fostering a one-team approach. Overall, I would say
everyone feels our industry and company are at an important juncture. Through first-hand observations
and listening to you, we are ready to take action on the three focus areas outlined in my initial letter last
week.
Regarding [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]operational integrity for safe and reliable operations[/font], we can do a better job at minimizing
flight cancellations caused by maintenance issues. These can create a snowball effect for aircraft and crew
swaps, resulting in tough situations for the front line throughout the day. Our maintenance team is
working hard but we need to have more touch points in the system to clear maintenance items. To that
end, we are going to double our overnight maintenance capacity and the number of aircraft touched by
Comair mechanics. We are opening an overnight hangar and maintenance base in Greensboro, N.C. as
well as adding four line maintenance bases in Lexington, Akron Canton, Knoxville and Raleigh Durham.
We are also adding Mobile One capability in Greensboro and Raleigh. This significantly increases the
reliability of our aircraft by addressing maintenance items, APUs, lavatories and other minimum
equipment list (MEL) issues. By reducing our third party maintenance, the additional capacity will be
self-funded. Additional information on the increased maintenance capacity will be shared next week.
Beyond the maintenance bases, we are assessing our support systems, such as crew scheduling,
maintenance tracking, etc., to provide sufficient tools for our team to do their jobs well. In our vital hub
operations, we are recruiting and training additional ramp staff as well as making improvements to the
deicing process. We are taking a critical look at reducing the number of crew swaps and how we flow
crews throughout the network to ensure the best crew availability for operational needs. Supplemental
crew bases are being considered. All of these things will help minimize significant impacts from irregular
operations in the future. We have a lot of work to do in the operation and you will see more initiatives in
the coming weeks and months.
To improve [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]customer service excellence, [/font]we will be working with Delta to address policies that make it
difficult to be at our best. In fact, two critical policies change March 1. We will bring the authorization
levels down to the capacity of the aircraft, thereby eliminating over-sales. We will also align the deniedboarding
compensation for Comair to be consistent with Delta’s. There is an emphasis on increasing
customer-facing technology, such as adding kiosks in 15 of our field locations (ABE, BGR, BUF, CAK,
DSM, FWA, GRR, ISP, MDT, MDW, MHT, OMA, ROC, SBN, TOL). Delta Direct will be available in
Concourse C by mid-summer and we are taking another look at customer information displays for
departures in CVG. In making these changes, we will create a better environment for our people to have a
caring approach with customers and each other.
To execute Comair’s viability plan for the next decade, we need [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]a winning growth strategy [/font]that will
ensure Comair is here 10 years from now. I want Comair to fly the ERJ 170, a 70-seat aircraft with stateof-
the-art technology and superior customer comfort features. I view moving into this equipment type as
critical. Just like Comair made the innovative move in 1993 to be a CRJ provider, we have to make an
innovative step now for the next 10 years.
The only way to provide greater job stability is to keep the company growing. In my meetings with you, I
said we needed to find a winning growth strategy to position us for the future. We have started on that
path with our recent tentative agreement with the International Association of Machinists (IAM). We need
to begin that process with pilots and flight attendants in order to position ourselves to grow. [font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]I am not
asking pilots and flight attendants for a pay cut. [/font]However, I am asking that we not dig the hole deeper.
I [font=TimesNewRoman,Italic]am [/font]asking pilots and flight attendants for a pay freeze, commencing with the first growth aircraft
delivery, combined with a one-year extension to the pilot and flight attendant collective bargaining
agreements. In exchange, we will commit to at least 10 additional CRJ 200s and 25 additional 70-seat
aircraft. If circumstances change and these additional airplanes do not come to Comair, these changes to
the pilot and flight attendant contracts will be nullified.
Maintaining current pay levels is consistent with our other workgroups. As announced in December,
management and non-represented groups will not receive pay increases this year and have had pay freezes
in other recent years. We reached a tentative agreement yesterday with the IAM that keeps our mechanics
competitive with the marketplace. Because I believe leaders should walk the talk, I will be taking a 10%
pay cut as will all the officers beginning March 1. As part of operating as one team, all work groups will
be included in the Performance Pay Program commencing with the agreed upon proposal.
The specifics of the proposal have been shared with the leaders of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). They are:
1. One-year contract extensions, making the pilot agreement amendable in May 2007 and the flight
attendant agreement amendable in July 2008;
2. A pay freeze, including longevity increases, for the period of the contract;
3. For pilots, new equipment seat freezes extended to 30 months for captain and first officer
positions.
If the proposal is agreed to, the guarantee for the Comair team includes:
o
At least 25 new 70-seaters (hopefully ERJ 170s) and 10 CRJ 200s;
o
Everyone included in the Performance Pay Program (PPP) so we work together toward the success
of our operation;
of our operation;
o
[font=TimesNewRoman,Bold]No changes to the pilot and flight attendant labor agreements if the airplanes are not
delivered.
delivered.
[/font]
I have challenged ALPA and the IBT to agree to our proposal by the third week in February. We need to
know whether we can capture these opportunities. We have deliberately made this proposal simple so it
can be agreed to in an expedited fashion. Time is of the essence. I am asking pilots and flight attendants to
discuss this with their union leadership.
In all of my focus groups and employee meetings, there is a strong desire to be on the move again.
Therefore, it is important that we move on all these initiatives quickly. By continuing to focus on these
three imperatives - operational integrity, customer service excellence and a winning growth strategy - we
can reclaim our position as the premier regional carrier.
In the coming weeks, I will continue to be available in the operation to talk about these issues. I look
forward to a long, successful flight path ahead.
know whether we can capture these opportunities. We have deliberately made this proposal simple so it
can be agreed to in an expedited fashion. Time is of the essence. I am asking pilots and flight attendants to
discuss this with their union leadership.
In all of my focus groups and employee meetings, there is a strong desire to be on the move again.
Therefore, it is important that we move on all these initiatives quickly. By continuing to focus on these
three imperatives - operational integrity, customer service excellence and a winning growth strategy - we
can reclaim our position as the premier regional carrier.
In the coming weeks, I will continue to be available in the operation to talk about these issues. I look
forward to a long, successful flight path ahead.
