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DHL/ASTAR hiring

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flyinboxes

flyinboxes

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Posts
246
Word from management is that we have hired a class of 10. It has been awhile and to those new hires welcome aboard if any of you happen to read this board. We are still understaffed and these 10 won't do much to help so I would imagine another class will be hired soon. We have 6 more 727's on the way. These 10 have been in a pool for a long time and I have no idea how many are still in it. My guess is probably 20 or so. Just an update for anyone who may be in the pool or wanting a job here.
 
Competitive Numbers...

Flyinboxes:
Thanks for the information - it's appreciated.

Can you say a little about what's competitive for an interview? Any idea? Where's Astar generally getting its applicants? E.g., any 135 freight guys? All 121? Military/Civvy ratios, etc.

Regards,
2lt
 
I don't work at DHL/ASTAR but have friends/family that do and have jumpseated countless times pre-911. It's a great place with great people, although there have been some changes in the past few years, mainly internal downsizing (non-pilot jobs), and upward movement has been slow for the pilots, but as far as I understand it's still a great place to work and just the same place with a different name. Don't listen to the regional pilot, DHL/ASTAR is a major with Major pay and benifits that a regional pilot will never see, it's a much better place to be (if you can handle cargo) than flying an RJ for a Major airline that is losing money....
 
I would just like to second what Trimixdeepdiver said. I probably know about ten guys that work there. All are former Mountain Air Cargo guys and good stock!
 
This is gonna be a flame bait post...

Im in the middle on this one,

1st...I support the pilots in that they have a job and that the companies they use to work for "were" good companies (ABX/DHL). I hate to see any of our fellow brothers or sisters on the streets looking for employment. Its too bad the companies got bought out by the German Post.

2nd...I dont think I could work for a company that I knew was directly (or as they say indirectly) undermining every other cargo pilots job in the US not to mention restricting our ability to do business abroad with the monopoly that they hold over Europe. The German post is in control of ASTAR and therefore illegally flying and taking US packages and business across the pond as well as having a strangle hold on Europe with an illegal monopoly. Yeah, I know the Pres of ASTAR (American) owns 51% of the shares so in a legal eye, he's the owner, but any person with half a brain, knows where he takes his orders from and where he gets his money from. The first Judge who made a ruling in favor of ASTAR might have been disillusioned, but when all is said and done, I hate to say it but I hope that ASTAR is out of business. Not just for me, but for all of the Freight Dawgs out there. I know this makes me sound like a @$$, Im really not, I feel for the pilots, but I dont like the company, and I think its bad for all of us. I hope any of you prospective pilots that want to work there take a real good look at the company that you want to work for. Theres a lot to read about and its more than just trying to get a job.

Fire away...
 
Can you back up your last post, Go ahead, disagree with me about what I said about ASTAR, thats right, you cant. ASTAR is bad for business. What they will do to our industry, they will set us back many years if there left to steal our jobs. But ateast you'll still have a job, right, who gives a crap about the rest of the indusrty. Its kinda like wanting to ask the FAA to allow you to fly longer than the max allowed in a duty period. Great for you, you get a better schedule, but really bad for tens of 1000's of other pilots... In the Military we had a name for people who had no regard for others, only them selves, Blue Falcon... But I wont call you that, I dont know you personally.

But then again, your really only good at calling people names and not backing up your position. If Im wrong, educate me and Ill admit Im wrong, but until then...
 
???


No clue what you are talking about, I think your talking about me, Im talking about the issue of ASTAR. But for me making my point and you not really making a point about ASTAR, Im hitting the hay...

Good night, Sleep tight, Maybe we can carry on this fun tomorrow... Cya...
 
According to the AQP Supervisor for ASTAR (a super nice guy who coordinates the internship program), UPS and FedEx have sued DHL/ASTAR multiple times, and the court system was so tired of dealing with the frivilous lawsuits they had this last ruling as a "once and for all" decision (his words, not mine).

I asked this same guy how the pilot relationship was with ASTAR vs. UPS/FedEx guys (I had a LOR from a UPS 747 Captain), and he said it was great, that everybody jumped on everybody else and got along well, normal company ribbing aside.

I think UPS and FedEx are scared their duoply could be challenged by a bigger, stronger third party in the combined DHL/ABX.

BIGBROWNDC8, I respectfully disagree with your statement "What they will do to our industry, they will set us back many years if there left to steal our jobs". I'll be honest - I don't know the 121 cargo biz that well...but I don't see how ASTAR would be dragging down the cargo profession. I DO see them taking some UPS and FedEx flying away as they grow, and that is the only way I can see them "stealing" your jobs. More competition = bad for business

ASTAR is the US contractor for DHL Worldwide and Deutsch Post pays them for the boxes they carry. What's wrong or illegal in that?

You are upset that UPS can't fly more in Europe and you claim that ASTAR is a shell company for DHL to fly in the US. Wouldn't the simple solution be for UPS to form a shell company of its own to fly in Europe?

What am I missing?
 
Ups has a european airline, been in operation for years. They cooincidentally are named STAR airlines. As far as being a "kraut" operation, DHL/ASTAR is, has been and will always be a US company with US pilots period. Once again a UPS employee illustrates the origin of the "freight nazi" moniker. With the ownership changemaybe you stand a chance of the real "frieght nazis" cleaning your clock. Have a nice one.
 
As far as "krauts" and hoping businesses go under, I don't agree. Guys used to sit around and talk about the AA, Delta, UPS, Fedex choice they were going to have to make. If you don't have a job and need to feed the family, stay current, not much choice. We are all paying for the difficult times when guys are forced to take lower paying jobs.

I will say that if ABX/DHL were that good, they would already have eaten into our business. Certainly, there is wrong info on both sides about the ownership of the company, but if it is improper, it will be challenged in court and lawyers will "earn" thier pay.
 
To bigbrownDC8, your post is very interesting but also misinformed. The new owners of ASTAR, there are 3 of them, are 100% U.S. citizens born and raised in the good ole USA. One is the former CEO of NWA, the other the husband of a Senator, and the other I believe is a Corporate Attorney. There is no 51%. They own 100% with their financing from Boeing Capital. We have 500 pilots who are all a bunch of good ole boys and great people with kids and wives (and ex-wives) and beach houses and new SUV's to pay for. You see Fedex and UPS have sued us numerous times and lost every case including this last round,which I'm sure you know. This last loss however was particularly devastating to you because the ruling came from a judge. These cases had never made it to a Judge before. I'm also told that this was it, the last hoorah. We won and it is over. Now the competition will begin in earnest. Although you are light years ahead I believe we will gain some ground and at a company our size a little goes along way and could be really good for our pilot group. I have many friends that fly for UPS and FEdex and we give each other crap all the time however I would never ever wish you were out of Business. This is how the Global economy works. We are free to to do business with whomever we wish. This is not Communist China. As long as we are owned by Americans which we are. Good Day.
 
BoilerUP said:
BIGBROWNDC8, I respectfully disagree with your statement "What they will do to our industry, they will set us back many years if there left to steal our jobs". I'll be honest - I don't know the 121 cargo biz that well...but I don't see how ASTAR would be dragging down the cargo profession. I DO see them taking some UPS and FedEx flying away as they grow, and that is the only way I can see them "stealing" your jobs. More competition = bad for business

ASTAR is the US contractor for DHL Worldwide and Deutsch Post pays them for the boxes they carry. What's wrong or illegal in that?

You are upset that UPS can't fly more in Europe and you claim that ASTAR is a shell company for DHL to fly in the US. Wouldn't the simple solution be for UPS to form a shell company of its own to fly in Europe?

What am I missing?
Click to expand...


Edit: just learned how well paid Astar folks are. In light of that, I'm not sure what is bad about Astar.
 
Last edited:
BigBrownDC8,

I can see where you are confused about what is actually going on with Purple/Brown/Astar. Perhaps I can illustrate to you what's happening here.

For the past several years, (even before DP bought DHL) DHL has been under seige by UPS/FedEx. Sadly, this also includes Astar and ABX Air as well now. We've been a US airline since before UPS had an airline. We are also the first freight carrier to be brought into ALPA. (Odd, National doesn't seem to think that we're a "shell company".) At every turn, with every pitiable attempt by your company to shut us down, the powers that be have sided with us. At last, your company spent a lot of money on the Hill, and got Ted Stevens (you want to talk about destroying jobs, look at this guy and the cabotage bill he just got passed) to tack on a rider to the Wartime Spending Bill, _Forcing_ DOT to hold a full-scale ALJ hearing into the citizenship of what is now Astar Air Cargo. Once again, a hearing was held, and once again, we've been given a clean bill of health. Hopefully this is the last time we'll have to put up with such blatant manipulation of the law, but I doubt it. If you are interested in facts, I suggest you check this link out. It is the full finding of the Judge.

http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm

Type in 13089 for the Docket number. Then go to page 12, and look at the Judge's decision. It tears every one of UPS/FedEx's arguments to shreds. As far as Astar being illegal goes, we have an ACMI agreement (Just as ABX Air does) to fly for DHL in the US. That's not illegal. To DHL/DP having a strangle hold on Europe, obviously you haven't been there. I go there all the time. I'm an 8 Captain for Astar. Believe me, there are plenty of Purple and Brown planes and trucks over there. Oh, one other thing. After years of harrassment by your company, DHL/DP has finally asked the EU to investigate Star Airlines in Denmark. Do you know who they are? Just in case you don't, I'll tell you. They are the European airline that flies for UPS over there. All their work is for UPS. Welcome to my world. UPS filing charges against us is like the pot calling the kettle black. I don't mean this in an ugly way, but it's about time UPS got a taste of it's own medicine. I'd like to suggest that you stop listening to the company party line, and do some independent research (and thinking) on your own.
 
Just for the record..

Star (not Astar) is a company in Europe that UPS subcontracts with to fly boxes in Europe. UPS has zero ownership in Star. The company tells us we are flying as many routes as we can with IPA crews and that it's against the rules (politics) for us to fly some routes....so Star gets them.
 
80for80,

Read my quote below. I'm not going to waste time with you. Your situation has obviously turned you into a bitter individual. That's too bad. Tossing childish comments out does not promote learning about issues.
 
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