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Comair / Mesaba / Compass Will Lose All Handling Employees

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JonnyKnoxville

Well-known member
Joined
May 20, 2004
Posts
439
New subsidiary will oversee Delta Connection opsFebruary 10, 2009


Delta has formed a new wholly owned subsidiary - Regional Handling Services - to ensure a higher level of consistency at Delta Connection-staffed airports throughout the U.S. RHS will assume responsibility for all airport ticket counter, gate and baggage handling services in about 100 small- and medium-sized airports, plus hub operations in Cincinnati, Detroit and Minneapolis, currently managed by Delta’s wholly owned subsidiaries Comair and Mesaba.
RHS will work with Delta and the Delta Connection carriers to develop product and performance standards for all elements of the airport experience; streamline handling procedures and training; and establish a consistent station performance management and quality assurance program.
The subsidiary will be comprised of about 4,100 airport customer service employees from Comair, Mesaba and Compass. RHS will be based alongside Delta Connection in Minneapolis. Don Stephens, former Comair v.p. for System Planning and Customer Service, will lead the new organization. RHS also will oversee airport customer service functions for 170 airport locations handled by Delta Connection ground handling partners nationwide.
“As there is minimal overlap of the Comair and Mesaba ground handling networks, we anticipate no involuntary frontline reductions for employees of Comair and Mesaba as a result of the creation of RHS, with any staffing adjustments expected to be managed through attrition and voluntary programs,” said Don Bornhorst, v.p.-Delta Connection, in a memo to employees. “It is important to note that the creation of RHS will not impact the flying operations of Comair, Mesaba or Compass. Each airline will continue to be based at its respective headquarters with a core focus on delivering safe, reliable and on-time flights for Delta customers. Additionally, the creation of this subsidiary will have no impact to Delta or Northwest mainline jobs.”
 
From a passenger standpoint, it will be nice to have a more seamless and uniform experience with ground ops. Of course, I think this sends the message that more "standardization" is coming. Look for some method of combining the wholly owned carriers, and for a regional fleet simplification. I think CRJ operators will win in this, as Delta seems to have a preference for them over the Embraer products. If Freedom falls off the DCI radar over the next year, that would leave only CHQ operating a non-CRJ 50 seater. Combine that with Bedford's willingness to leave the 50 seat market and I think you could see the entire DCI 145 fleet disappear over the next three years. As for the larger embraers, I think they will stick around, though I could see the fleet consolidating to a single operator. Perhaps Compass will be sold to RAH as part of a get-rid-of- the-145's deal. Or, perhaps Delta will purchase the aircraft off of RAH and have a wholly owned 175 fleet. I see that as the less likely option, as BB would hate to give up one of his beloved E-jets, let alone 15.

I think Delta is making some good choices, albeit painful ones. I know the ComAir strike left Delta a little gunshy about having a small number of DCI carriers, but I think economics will push DCI back in that direction.
 
Comair, Mesaba, and Compass will not lose the ground handling...it would sound from memo that the ground handling parts of each company will be rolled into this new Regional Handling Services subsidiary (The subsidiary will be comprised of about 4,100 airport customer service employees from Comair, Mesaba and Compass - RHS also will oversee airport customer service functions for 170 airport locations handled by Delta Connection ground handling partners nationwide.)

as for the flow - the new Delta contract kept the flow that both Compass and Mesaba had with NWA, therefore when Delta starts to hire, the flow will start.

FO
 
Flow to what? Is it Delta Now? Or is it dead in the fact that now Delta owns NWA?

They will flow up to Delta, and our guys could flow down to Compass if needed. I still hope we staple the Compass pilots onto our list and bring them over to our wages and rules, but I don't know if that will happen. I know Delta wants some scope relief on an extra 21 76 seat RJs, so maybe we could suggest that or just park them. Hopefully Dalpa will figure it out.


Bye Bye--General Lee
 
They will flow up to Delta, and our guys could flow down to Compass if needed. I still hope we staple the Compass pilots onto our list and bring them over to our wages and rules, but I don't know if that will happen. I know Delta wants some scope relief on an extra 21 76 seat RJs, so maybe we could suggest that or just park them. Hopefully Dalpa will figure it out.


Bye Bye--General Lee

Do I dare ask why only staple the Compass pilots? Mesaba and also Comair, I believe, operate 76 seat jets. Is it because the engines are below the wings at Compass?
 

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