DAL to recall all furloughed pilots

[sleepy]

WSB radio in ATL is reporting that DAL has agreed to recall all 1060 furloughed pilots on a soon to be released schedule.

Anybody else hear this one?

 

[ilinipilot]

little blurb in the WSJ yesterday about it as well

 

[nimtz]

I hope this good news comes to full reality. Nevertheless I have to ask, is this sustainable?

 

[jarhead]

Tuesday, May 4, 2004
Delta to recall laid-off pilots


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer


Delta Air Lines and its pilots union have agreed that rising passenger traffic has reached a level that triggers the recall of more than 1,000 furloughed pilots, officials said Monday night.

"We will be meeting this week to determine the timing and the pace and the logistics of this," Delta spokesman John Kennedy said.

The 1,060 pilots were laid off after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sent the entire industry into a tailspin - and despite a "no furlough" clause in the contract with the Air Line Pilots Association.

An independent arbitrator subsequently decided that if passenger traffic reached a certain point - matching or exceeding pre-Sept. 11 traffic for a four-month period - pilots should be gradually recalled.

The financially ailing airline's traffic for the four months ending in February narrowly exceeded the pre-Sept. 11 level. The union Friday asked Delta to begin recalling furloughed pilots.

Delta employs nearly 8,000 pilots, including nearly 800 at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport - the Atlanta-based airline's second-largest hub.

Kennedy would not say how long the recalls might take. But such an action could take months or years.

Meanwhile, talks between the union and management have stalled over pay cuts and concessions to address Delta's continuing multimillion-dollar losses.

---

Cox News Service contributed. E-mail [email protected]

 

[General Lee]

This is great news, but nobody said ALL of them would be brought back at once. It would be nice, but doubtful. They are supposed to meet this week to discuss the recall rate---and it will be nice when they are all back---but it still may take awhile. I hope this forces them to the table again and hopefully we can hammer out a deal that is good for all of us.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[jarhead]

This trigger for recall presents some very vexing problems for the airline. It (the trigger) was based on the number of pax returning to Delta flights from pre 9-11 levels. It would make more sense to me if it were based instead, upon revenue returning to the airline. With the price of tickets so depressed, the cost to run the airline is too large to sustain the current payroll, let alone take in another 1060 pilots. We will have to wait and see what kind of a recall schedule is put forward. Somehow, Delta (and all the other Legacy Carriers as well) need to figure out how to get a higher paying client back into the seats.

I don’t have the answers; I’m no airline exec. But maybe a more ‘premium’ ride, (more space between seats), full service fare to include restaurant quality meals, a super friendly staff from top to bottom at all levels of the company that the public comes in contact with. The airlines can’t do much about the hassle factor at the security areas, as that is under government control and regulation, but maybe an aggressive lobbying effort by the executives to get a “trusted traveler” program initiated where people have been pre-screened can bypass the very onerous, time consuming check in through security.

Also, along with the need to increase the revenue per ticket, major cost reductions also must take place. The airlines cannot continue in this continual loss mode year after year. They have to return to profitability if they are to survive, and there is not much time left to do that.

Below is pasted an article by the Associated Press today, where some airline CEO’s discuss this situation, among them being Gordon Bethune.

Some airlines heading for failure, CEOs say
Associated Press
May 4, 2004AIRLINES05
FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- The chief executives of three major airlines predict some carriers will fail as the industry deals with a long slump.
The CEOs of American, Continental and Southwest airlines didn't identify the likely losers nor predict when they might collapse.
But Continental CEO Gordon Bethune said ``there is no reason to have six hub-and-spoke carriers.'' Bethune said even some low-cost carriers -- who have performed better recently than traditional airlines -- could fail.
American CEO Gerard Arpey said airlines are squeezed by competition in the form of low fares and high costs.
Southwest CEO James Parker said while some carriers may fail, they could be replaced by new entrants, leaving the skies as crowded as before.
The three made their comments before the Society of American Business Editors and Writers meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

[ADG]

I read somewhere on this board that some of the pilots recalled a couple of months ago are not flying? Is this true?

Is 1060 all the furloughed pilots at Delta Airlines?

thanks

ADG

 

[Gumbydammit]

If the DALPA can't hammer out a deal on getting all 1060 back on mainline flying SOMETHING now (meaning cutting a scope deal to fly 70/100 seaters AND give pay concessions) then you guys need your own union...you have the company over the barrell in every possible way right now. If there is no deal, everyone loses....if a deal to preserve pay and scope and leave your 1060 out on the street is made your union will be divided forever. Now is the time to get it right for both sides...

 

[spanky2]

ADG and other inquiring minds,

Delta had/has 2 groups of furloughed pilots.

FM I group total is 1060, began on Nov 01 due to 911 and ended in Jan 03 by order of the arbitrator, Mr Bloch, when he said the conditions for furloughing no longer existed. He then set in place the RPM trigger based on RPMs equalling or exceeding the same RPM figure prior to 9-11-01for a rolling 4 month period. This trigger has been met with the Mar 04 RPM data. Waiting to begin recall.

FM II group totalled 250 more pilots and began in Apr 03 thru Jun 03 due to Gulf War II, SARS, blah blah, blah. These pilots were recalled in Oct thru Dec 03 by the company because "it was the right thing to do" blah, blah, blah. ALPA filed a grievance and this issue is still unresolved. Many think the company recalled FM II group prior to a judgement cause they were gonna lose the fight in court...and could still lose. Issue being they should have never been furloughed and ALPA wants these piltos "made whole"... back pay, returned to seat, etc. Of the 250 pilots recalled, about 55 or so are still unassigned as of today.

 

[2auburn]

To Jarhead

Hey Jarhead:

I am a furloughed Delta pilot waiting on the recall. You have no idea how this industry works based on your comments. Why don't you go on over to the AOPA website where you belong - you are out of your league here .... you have no business making such comments with your inept qualifications.

A contract is a contract!!!!!!