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Continental Express to recall pilots
First wave of 48 will return in April
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
In what could be a positive sign for the beleaguered airline industry, furloughed pilots for Continental Express could soon be flying again.
"Our plans right now are to begin recalling pilots at ExpressJet in April and continue those recalls on a schedule into 2004, as market conditions permit," Continental Express spokesman Jeff Awalt said Tuesday. Continental Express is operated by ExpressJet Airlines, which was spun off from Houston-based Continental Airlines in April of last year.
A total of 48 pilots are expected to return to work in April, according to the Continental pilots union.
The move also is expected to trigger the recall of some Continental Airlines pilots who were furloughed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Upon their return, those Continental pilots initially would fly for Continental Express, which provides the larger carrier all of its regional airline capacity at its hub airports.
However, as the economy improves, those pilots could move back into slots at Continental.
John Prater, chairman of the master executive council of the Continental pilots union, said virtually every pilot for Continental or Continental Express who was furloughed could be in a Continental Express cockpit as soon as the spring of 2004.
"It appears that the company's plans are that there will be enough flying to put everybody back to work within the next 12 to 15 months," Prater said. "So hopefully, by the spring of 2004, all of our members will be back to work." As many as 479 pilots could be recalled, according to the union. "The fact that we have stabilized our employment situation and not undergone more furloughs is a positive in this state of the industry," Prater said.
One reason for the recall is that ExpressJet will be taking delivery of about 100 Brazilian Embraer aircraft during the next two years.
That will provide enough to call back all of the furloughed pilots for Continental Express and even begin new hiring, Prater said.
ExpressJet has reported three consecutive quarters of improved earnings since its initial public offering in April 2002.
Continental still owns a majority interest in the smaller carrier, which was recently named regional airline of the year by Air Transport World. The shift to increased use of regional jets by Continental is indicative of what is being done industrywide.
Other major hub-and-spoke carriers are making similar moves in an attempt to cut costs since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The terrorist attacks in 2001 came at a time when the industry already had begun seeing a slowdown in air travel because of a sluggish economy and changing business travel trends. Mark Leneski, executive administrator of the union's executive council, noted that while some Continental pilots may not be back at the larger carrier, at least they will be flying again and providing a paycheck for their families. "There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel," Leneski said. "The worst is behind us."
According to the union, 383 Continental Express pilots and 96 Continental "mainline" pilots were furloughed. An additional 236 Continental mainline pilots went to Continental Express, 105 took leaves of absence, two took military leave and one is working for Continental dispatch.
At Delta Air Lines, more than 1,200 pilots were furloughed, Prater said.
American was forced to jettison more than 1,000 pilots, and Northwest let 650 go, he said.
At Continental, a "flow-through agreement" contractually allows pilots to flow up in good times, according to the union. That means that Continental Express pilots who are in the most senior positions can go to Continental if the mainline carrier needs to hire them. In bad times, however, the flow-through agreement works the other way, a union spokesman said.
More than 900 pilots who began their careers at Continental Express are now flying for Continental, Prater said.
First wave of 48 will return in April
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
In what could be a positive sign for the beleaguered airline industry, furloughed pilots for Continental Express could soon be flying again.
"Our plans right now are to begin recalling pilots at ExpressJet in April and continue those recalls on a schedule into 2004, as market conditions permit," Continental Express spokesman Jeff Awalt said Tuesday. Continental Express is operated by ExpressJet Airlines, which was spun off from Houston-based Continental Airlines in April of last year.
A total of 48 pilots are expected to return to work in April, according to the Continental pilots union.
The move also is expected to trigger the recall of some Continental Airlines pilots who were furloughed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Upon their return, those Continental pilots initially would fly for Continental Express, which provides the larger carrier all of its regional airline capacity at its hub airports.
However, as the economy improves, those pilots could move back into slots at Continental.
John Prater, chairman of the master executive council of the Continental pilots union, said virtually every pilot for Continental or Continental Express who was furloughed could be in a Continental Express cockpit as soon as the spring of 2004.
"It appears that the company's plans are that there will be enough flying to put everybody back to work within the next 12 to 15 months," Prater said. "So hopefully, by the spring of 2004, all of our members will be back to work." As many as 479 pilots could be recalled, according to the union. "The fact that we have stabilized our employment situation and not undergone more furloughs is a positive in this state of the industry," Prater said.
One reason for the recall is that ExpressJet will be taking delivery of about 100 Brazilian Embraer aircraft during the next two years.
That will provide enough to call back all of the furloughed pilots for Continental Express and even begin new hiring, Prater said.
ExpressJet has reported three consecutive quarters of improved earnings since its initial public offering in April 2002.
Continental still owns a majority interest in the smaller carrier, which was recently named regional airline of the year by Air Transport World. The shift to increased use of regional jets by Continental is indicative of what is being done industrywide.
Other major hub-and-spoke carriers are making similar moves in an attempt to cut costs since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The terrorist attacks in 2001 came at a time when the industry already had begun seeing a slowdown in air travel because of a sluggish economy and changing business travel trends. Mark Leneski, executive administrator of the union's executive council, noted that while some Continental pilots may not be back at the larger carrier, at least they will be flying again and providing a paycheck for their families. "There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel," Leneski said. "The worst is behind us."
According to the union, 383 Continental Express pilots and 96 Continental "mainline" pilots were furloughed. An additional 236 Continental mainline pilots went to Continental Express, 105 took leaves of absence, two took military leave and one is working for Continental dispatch.
At Delta Air Lines, more than 1,200 pilots were furloughed, Prater said.
American was forced to jettison more than 1,000 pilots, and Northwest let 650 go, he said.
At Continental, a "flow-through agreement" contractually allows pilots to flow up in good times, according to the union. That means that Continental Express pilots who are in the most senior positions can go to Continental if the mainline carrier needs to hire them. In bad times, however, the flow-through agreement works the other way, a union spokesman said.
More than 900 pilots who began their careers at Continental Express are now flying for Continental, Prater said.
