chperplt
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Comair Announces 10 Growth Aircraft
President Fred Buttrell sent all Comair employees the following memo regarding growth aircraft:
Fred made the announcement in a meeting with employees in the general office.
Today I am pleased to announce that Delta has decided to contract with Comair for additional flying that will add 10 CRJ200 aircraft to our fleet. This news puts Comair back on a growth track and gives us the ability to begin adding new flights and employees. As I have communicated to you in recent months, Comair's ability to grow again has been achieved by our continued focus on addressing competitive gaps in our cost structure and improving our operation and service quality.
We will begin phasing the 50-seat aircraft into our schedule this June with all 10 joining the Comair fleet by the end of this year or early 2006. Based on current network plans, the first jets will operate between destinations in Florida and other key regional markets.
Evaluations continue for additional 70-seat flying opportunities. Decisions on specific aircraft type, delivery schedules, etc., depend on securing the right aircraft costs, aircraft financing, and being able to offer competitive operating costs.
All members of our team, from employees joining the company today to our 25-year veterans, remain instrumental in Comair's ability to secure more flying opportunities in the future. People in every area of the company have stepped up by making difficult decisions that help the company pursue a winning growth strategy. Maintaining this collective approach is important to our long-term success and to making our airline a great place to work.
New airplanes mean increased accountability for us to deliver on our focus areas of improved operational reliability and ensuring customer service excellence. We have two sets of customers - the traveling public who flies on our jets and Delta. By delivering safe, reliable, friendly and helpful service 1,130 departures a day in a cost-effective manner, we serve both customers. No regional carrier is guaranteed flying opportunities by virtue of ownership or reputation. As my old college football coach said, "You are only as good as your last play and you have to earn your position every day." This makes it imperative that we keep winning and delivering on initiatives to improve operations and customer service, and cultivate a culture that stresses servant leadership and treating each other and our customers well. A working timeline of corporate initiatives showing how we are going to accomplish this can be found on EPIC along with this memorandum.
Today's growth aircraft announcement is an important victory for Comair and huge turnaround from the company's low point in December, but it represents only one theater of battle in a campaign with many challenges to come. Winning makes work fun, success begets success, and today's victory gives us some welcome tailwind to help us do these things. It takes all of us working together and respecting each other to produce the Comair solution. Today's news is at least one indication that we are headed along the right path, especially when you consider how far we have come in a few short months. Imagine how much farther we can go if we maintain our momentum and focus.
Thank you for helping us fly, serve and win.
