First PSA CRJ -- news story

[DorkProp]

From the Dayton Daily News (October 29):


New regional jets heading home
Bombardiers due in Dayton

By Jason Roberson
[email protected]

MONTREAL | PSA Airlines Inc., the Dayton-based wholly owned subsidiary of US Airways Group Inc., received its first new 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jet during ceremonies Tuesday at Bombardier Inc. The aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Dayton this afternoon and will enter service Dec. 14.

PSA will take delivery of 60 CRJ-200s as part of US Airways' regional jet order announced in May. Each jet costs an estimated $25 million, or roughly $1.5 billion for all 60 jets. The new fleet is scheduled to be in service by March 2005.

The first two jets arrive this week in Dayton and will undergo test flights before entering service in December. The airline operates under the name US Airways Express.

PSA’s fleet of 30 32-seat Dornier 328 turboprop aircraft will be phased out.

"PSA today begins its transition to an all-regional jet airline," said Dick Pfennig, PSA’s president and chief executive. "I am delighted for our company, our employees and our customers, and we are especially grateful for the commitment and support we have received from the city of Dayton."

The completion of PSA’s CRJ-200 deliveries will double the size of the carrier’s fleet, and passenger capacity will increase three-fold. PSA said the expansion will create more than 500 jobs companywide, including those for pilots, flight attendants and mechanics.

PSA employs 1,550, including 300 in Dayton. Pfennig said he expects to hire an additional 200 workers in Dayton by the end of 2004.

At the ceremony in Montreal, Bruce Ashby, president of US Airways Express, called the jet purchase a "historic milestone for US Airways Group."

During the 90-minute flight from Dayton to Montreal, Pfennig was joined by senior executives, union representatives and selected flight attendants.

At the hangar in Montreal, flight attendants toured the new aircraft, sat in the leather seats and shared favorable comments about such luxuries as foot rests for them and a modern coffee maker. Flight attendants Jane Hutchison and Jennifer Ankrom, both from Akron, took digital pictures of the cockpit and the bathroom.

As he glanced at the CRJ-200 for the first time Tuesday, Pfennig said, "You know I’ve seen this before and I’ve studied the pictures, but it looks a lot better now that I own it."


Contact Jason Roberson at 225-2446.

[From the Dayton Daily News: 10.29.2003]

 

[ReportCanoa]

and a modern coffee maker.

Movin' on up aren't we?

 

[RUhiring?]

From the Dayton Daily News (October 29):
As he glanced at the CRJ-200 for the first time Tuesday, Pfennig said, "You know I’ve seen this before and I’ve studied the pictures, but it looks a lot better now that I own it."

Funny, I didn't think Pfennig bought this a/c?

 

[DorkProp]

He got 0% dealer financing with $1500 cash-back. How could he walk away from a deal like that? But you should see the payment coupon book!

 

[jegermeister]

Just wandering......What's the over all feeling at PSA about getting new equipment, at the expense of ALG and PDT? I know when your MEC signed the J4J agreement most of the line pilots were opposed to thier decision.

I'm also curious about how many mainline folks will displace your own FO's. The agreement presented to ALG promised to give half of the newly created jobs to mainline. Since PSA is changing fleet type, does that count as all new jobs. If so won't they have to furlough, or at least not hire anyone off the street?. It also said there would be a minimum pay of $50/hr for those guys. Maybe even your Capt's seat.

Am I bitter? Yes. With you? A little, but mostly with the pilot group at USAir and ALPA. The pilot's at USAir never knew who the WO's even were, until they needed a job. And even then they didn't care who we were, only that they could strong arm some one into an agreement to fly an RJ. The same RJ's they used as a bargaining chip with management to take care of contract issues like "crew meals". ALPA is not any better. They may never have publicly endorsed J4J, but they certainly did nothing to stop it.

 

[DorkProp]

What's the overall feeling at PSA? I think the overall feeling is mixed. Most are still bitter that our MEC approved J4J, concessions, et al, without a pilot vote. But most are also grateful that we will be growing and have a slightly more secure future than we did before J4J. I don't think anybody here thinks that we are getting the jets "at the expense of ALG and PDT." I seriously doubt that our MEC said, "Let's see if we can screw ALG and PDT and get all the jets for ourselves." I think they made their decisions based on what they thought was best for our pilot group.

Don't delude yourself into thinking that the pilots at a small airline have very much to do with what goes on behind the scenes. No line pilot at PSA had diddly to do with the decisions that were made by Pfennig, Ashby, and Seigal. If our MEC had anything to do with the decision, it was to a small extent, and it makes no sense to say that there was any malice or ill-will toward you involved. The cards could have landed in ALG's favor just as easily, and then it would have been us flipping you off as you taxi by instead of the other way around.

As for the J4J agreement, the participating J4J pilots get to bid for 50% of both the captain and FO seats on the jet. Since we are increasing from 28 aircraft to 60, no PSA pilots will be furloughed. There may be hiring off the street later on. The captains get captain pay, and the FOs get FO pay, though not first-year pay. They also come in at the bottom of the seniority list meaning that no current PSA pilot will ever sit a day of reserve on the jet.

I'm sorry you're bitter. I'm sure I would be too if it were the other way around. But I'd be crazy if I weren't looking forward to transitioning to a new aircraft, making more money, and enjoying higher seniority.

 

[the turtle]

Welcome to the J4J's genie...it will be interesting to see how it plays out for PSA

 

[slick1]

So how eager are the furloughed mainline boys (and girls) to move over the PSA and take their place at the bottom of the seniority list? I'm not trying to start any crap. I'm really interested to know how easily PSA is gonna be able to get mainline J4J'ers to fill their seats. Any word on the percentage of mainliners who have passed up recall (to PSA)?

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Well.. first of all I dont think anyone considers us "mainliners" anymore.

Now we're just those dirtbags who have no jobs and live in a van down by the river.

Seriously though I would think that any furloughees who have not found other employment by this time, and who wish to keep flying professionally, would be pleased to accept employment at a J4J carrier.

Remember for the vast majority of us its been over a year and a half since we last put on a mainline uniform.

 

[slick1]

Check!