Delta Announcement Soon?

[NoName]

Suddenly Comair is hiring more pilots than originally announced. I wonder why? (sarcasm)

to fill the void for when your current pilot group starts training on the dojet.

 

[Anaconda]

I have seen on paper that Comair is to hire around 250 pilots this year.

first time i've heard that, what's your source? i've only heard 130 about a dozen times already, including sources within the company

 

[ilinipilot]

Shuttle, Is that really true.

 

[Anaconda]

Delta may thwart Comair's growth
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Alexander Coolidge
Post staff reporter

Some Wall Street analysts think Cincinnati-based Comair is unlikely to win a
bid to fly its corporate parent Delta Air Lines' newest small jets.
As it pares its fleet of large planes, Delta is expanding its use of
smaller, regional jets with 45 new 50-seat planes over the next two years.
The airline has used smaller aircraft to replace bigger planes on routes
with diminished passenger traffic.

Delta is expected to announce this quarter which regional carrier -- either
a subsidiary such as Comair or an outside airline -- it will contract to fly
the planes.

"SkyWest is a leading candidate to win growth, but so is Chautauqua," said
Robert Ashcroft, of UBS Investment Research in New York City. "We doubt
Delta subsidiaries (Atlantic Southeast Airlines) and Comair will score,
given the refusal of their pilot unions to reduce wages."

The downbeat handicapping of Comair's prospects echo worries by company
executives last fall when they asked unions to take pay cuts. Company
officials expressed concern that Comair's cost structure wasn't as lean as
other potential suitors for Delta's new planes.

Ashcroft said SkyWest and Chautauqua, which already are under contract to
fly routes for Delta, had lower costs. Also, Delta appears to be slowing the
growth of its regional fleet to 11 percent over the next two years, compared
to industrywide growth of 20 percent this year, he said.

Glenn Engel, an analyst with Goldman Sachs in New York, said he thought
Delta would look mostly outside its organization to contract the new jets,
although he speculated the airline might keep some of the planes at an
in-house carrier.

"Comair might get a small piece," he said.

If analysts' predictions come true, it would be a blow to Comair's growth
prospects as the regional segment of the industry continues to take off.

Government statistics say regional airlines' share of total scheduled
flights has increased from 10 percent of U.S. flights in 2000 to 25 percent
in 2003. Large jets' share of flights have declined during the same period
from 59 percent of U.S. flights in 2000 to 52 percent at the end of last
year.

Comair and Delta officials were not available for comment.

J.C. Lawson, chairman of the Comair chapter of the Air Line Pilots
Association, said the union wants the airline to prosper, but not at the
expense of pilots' salaries.

"Delta's hurting, but Comair is profitable," he said.

Lawson said he doubted Delta was concerned about the cost structure at
Comair. Still, he said the company should consider merging the Cincinnati
carrier with its sister regional ASA before asking pilots to work for less.
He noted ailing Delta rival US Air is consolidating its regional
subsidiaries to cut costs.

 

[General Lee]

Didn't I say something about this? I said that Delta wanted cuts from everyone---all of the pilot groups. It really is tough to hold on to the top pay category for your particular group. We, at Mainline, have a pretty large gap compared to the other Majors--and we will take some sort of a pay cut---no doubt. The Comair guys have a large pay gap with their peers--compared to their peers---it is true. We all will eventually give back some pay--because it is hard to justify such a gap. I am not blind to that at all. Now we just have to come up with the right numbers....

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[g159av8tor]

I hope the Comair guys hold the line. There is no good reason they shouldn't. Comair is like ACA plus 2% and AWAC plus 6-8%, certainly not overpaid for the safe, quality and profitable product they provide. Screw the bottom feeders and let them have the leftovers to whipsaw themselves back into the early 1990s for "growth". Where's my Airbus?

Tailwinds...

 

[RichO]

Unfortunately at our level, it is the difference between how many of us are seriously on wellfare. I love how the media presents the report as Comair has more money that they can take from. This is where the underbidders come into the picture. This is where we are really being hurt. When one regional bends over for even less, the more food stamps we have to use at our level. This is the sad state of the industry. I'm curious at how those underbidders feel every morning when they wake up and think about going to the unemployment office to apply for foodstamps, but yet they then realize they have a full time job but can't even literally put food on the table....I mean we aren't talking about not being able to take that vacation to Hawaii this year.....this is just sad....first year guys making less than 20K......supporting a family..........sad, very sad....when is this madness going to stop........probably never, because there is always someone out there that will whore themselves out for less.........sad, very sad.......wheres your pride, when are you going to realize how much that single vote matters to more than just your own company.......and yes, this effects not only your own company but everyone from the scum company up to the mainlines guys...they cheaper you get, the less mainline flying their is.....there needs to be regional guys, but come on, a regional guy flying 3 hours to a destination, not only is that sad for the passenger, but from a pilot standpoint that sucks. Don't you guys get it???? The more companies bend over, the more we're going to get worked to death and the less flying there is on mainline....yes, I want my company to expand but not at the expense of the way the industry needs to work. Don't you guys get it, the company your working for is making lots of money and expanding at your exspence!!!!! Wheres your share???????? certainly not in your pocket.........wake up.......this needs to end........at least I can say my pilot group took a stand and said no!!!!! How much do I need to repeat this before you guys will listen on how your votes are effecting the industry from the trash hawling bank check dude all the way up to the 777 captain........

 

[LearLove]

"Lawson said he doubted Delta was concerned about the cost structure at Comair. Still, he said the company should consider merging the Cincinnati carrier with its sister regional ASA before asking pilots to work for less. He noted ailing Delta rival US Air is consolidating its regional subsidiaries to cut costs."

Thats crapola..................

U is combining ALG and PDT to free up the ALG certificate for MDA and 100% mainline, nothing to do with costs.

 

[spinproof]

...whats crapola?....redundant management groups are crapola LL