Comair Part Of Delta Cuts

[JECKEL]

Delta announced today that, effective December 1, it will right-size operations at the Cincinnati hub to better match service to local passenger demand and optimize the balance of local and connecting traffic. The changes reduce mainline and DCI capacity by 26 percent.

"Going forward, we must continue to stay focused on operational integrity, customer service excellence and a winning growth strategy," said President Fred Buttrell. "To survive, we must also become one of the low-cost providers of Delta Connection flying. Doing that will give us the opportunity to secure a winning growth strategy while helping Delta -- our partner and parent company -- at the same time."
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[JECKEL]

Details of the December schedule must still be finalized, but based on an preliminary analysis of schedule impact and the reduction in operational hours, initial estimates indicate up to 350 Comair positions could be impacted. Most of that impact could be to Flight Operations, Inflight, Customer Services field locations and other operational support areas. To reduce that number as much as possible, the airline will use a number of measures, including leave programs, relocation (where applicable) and attrition. We will exhaust all options, but in the event that furloughs are necessary, we will work closely with the affected groups to minimize the impact.

The schedule utilizes all 174 of Comair's aircraft. However, our aircraft utilization - the number hours each aircraft flies per day - will be reduced. Unfortunately, because we are producing less hours with the same number of aircraft per day, it does create surpluses. We will have to manage this by finding ways to make the operation even more efficient. That is something that everyone at Comair must work together to address

Although we do not disclose detailed Comair-specific financial data, the schedule reduction will likely impact Comair revenues

 

[Whitestoneclimb]

Sad to say, but here come the furloughs. CMR just spent millions training about 150 guys/gals since March. Now they will probably be furloughed. And Delta wonders why they are losing money.

 

[General Lee]

Sad to say, but here come the furloughs. CMR just spent millions training about 150 guys/gals since March. Now they will probably be furloughed. And Delta wonders why they are losing money.

"RJ" Fred Greed thought the RJs were the answer to everything. He was WRONG. He should have used the RJ seed money to pay down DL debt. How many RJs are over there at Southwest, Airtran, and Jetblue? Now, I will say there needs to be a few of them around to feed smaller cities in the hub and spoke style system, but not hundreds. At the same time, unfortunately we don't need the gas guzzling 762s that are mx hogs also.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[spinproof]

At the same time, unfortunately we don't need the gas guzzling 762s that are mx hogs also.


Bye Bye--General Lee

Hello!...is this thing on(squelch) Hello......The fact you would admit that restores my faith in your seach for wisdom....although I feel sure you know its Jet-A, Kerosene,napalm excellorant or fuel guzzling not gas.

 

[surplus1]

"RJ" Fred Greed thought the RJs were the answer to everything. He was WRONG. He should have used the RJ seed money to pay down DL debt. How many RJs are over there at Southwest, Airtran, and Jetblue? Now, I will say there needs to be a few of them around to feed smaller cities in the hub and spoke style system, but not hundreds. At the same time, unfortunately we don't need the gas guzzling 762s that are mx hogs also.

Bye Bye--General Lee

As is the case more often than not, your "analysis" of this situation is flawed. The reductions at Comair do NOT represent a reduction in RJ flying at Delta Connection. What they DO represent is a transfer of Comiar flying to other DCI carriers.

First, you deliberately ignore the fact that a fleet of 16 new EMB-170's were recently added to the "Portfolio" by their assignment to Chautauqua. At the low utilization of only 9.0 hours per day, that represents 4,330 block hours per month.

Second, the beloved MESA airlines was recently added to the DCI Portfolio. That represents the addition of 25 (I think that's the numer) additional 50-seat RJs to the equation. Again at 9.0 hrs per day utilization, that represents an increase of 6,750 block hours per month.

Together, 4,330 + 6,750 = 11, 070 block hours have been added to DCI (by the time all of these come on line).

5,000 hours has been removed from Comair. Smell the coffee ... where do you think that 5000 hours went? Answer = MESA and CHQ.

So you see General, you are wrong. RJ flying is actually being increased as a whole. It is just being done by somebody else in liew of Comair.

This is caused by several factors. One of them is ALPA policy, which resulted in inferior contracts at both MESA and CHQ. Anther is the cretion of the Portfolio Concept itself (ironically by the current CEO of my company who is its architect). Another is the fact that DL didn't have the capital to buy the EMB-170's and CHQ did. Another is that MESA essentially paid Delta to join its little "club" and to make that agreement which allows Delta to retire some of its own aircraft (debt) and benefit from bottom-of-the-barrel pilot contracts (and other) labor costs at MESA.

Your anti-RJ rhetoric may make you feel better General, but it has virtually nothing to do with the current problems that either one of us face.

You will eventualyl come to realize what the futue holds. Your smallest aircraft will have the capacity of an MD-88 and everything else will be operated by subcontractors. For that eventuality you can thank ALPA's flawed policies and your own groups narrow vision. Management will continue to take full advantage of the opportunities you and ALPA have provided them. In the long run it will hurt you equally, if not more, than it hurts us.

While you gloat over what you incorrectly believe is the pending demise of the RJ airframe, you fail to see that your predatory Scope, championed by ALPA, has already done you more harm than good and will continue to harm both of us for the foreseeable future.

In one fell swoop of brilliance, your management has intentionally decreased the value of one of its assets, which means they can neither sell it or spin it off outside of bankruptcy. Their decision making with respect to the subsidiaries reminds me of The Charge of the Light Brigade or Custer's Last Stand.

The longer it takes the more I regret that my little company was forced to become part and parcel of your giant mess. Such is life in corporate America. All too often a large and poorly run company has absorbed and destroyed a small an effecient business. That is the story of the Delta acquisition of Comair.

Howeve, I wouldn't expect you to understand that reality. Swelled heads are a symptom of myopic vision that is seldom diagnosed by the victims until it is too late for corrective lenses to cure it.

The chickens of your folly are coming home to roost and all of "us" will pay the price.

 

[Yank McCobb]

Their decision making with respect to the subsidiaries reminds me of The Charge of the Light Brigade or Custer's Last Stand.

The longer it takes the more I regret that my little company was forced to become part and parcel of your giant mess. Such is life in corporate America. All too often a large and poorly run company has absorbed and destroyed a small an effecient business. That is the story of the Delta acquisition of Comair.

Howeve, I wouldn't expect you to understand that reality. Swelled heads are a symptom of myopic vision that is seldom diagnosed by the victims until it is too late for corrective lenses to cure it.

The chickens of your folly are coming home to roost and all of "us" will pay the price.

Ah yes. What surplus1 post would be complete without the flowery rhetoric, the metaphors and the melodrama? None of which add anything to the discussion except to heavily inflate the poster's view of his own importance.

He11, it's not even mildly entertaining anymore. I guess it was the first 50,000 versions of it that kind of took the fun out.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Ah yes. What surplus1 post would be complete without the flowery rhetoric, the metaphors and the melodrama? None of which add anything to the discussion except to heavily inflate the poster's view of his own importance.

I guess you prefer Duane Woerth's "flowery rhetoric, metaphors, and melodrama". Which of Duane's is your favorite?

Joe

 

[Hovernut]

So much for 60% of my brethren thinking what they signed last spring actually contained 'furlough protection!' What a mess. Maybe this'll result in DAL keeping us around as 'clingons' instead of spinning us off somehow.

Those snapbacks were set too far into the future. Another year and change before the first one! ...and so it begins...

 

[uba757]

As I understand what is going on there are 165 pilot positions that either need to be lost by personal leaves or by furlough. Uba757