Horizon to furlough 40 pilots

[Mamma]

Seems like the AAG sure likes to furlough during contract negotiations. Is this mainly due to them wanting to dump the CRJs? Any growth planned to replace the CRJs?

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/06/14/daily57.html

Horizon Air, the regional airline run by Alaska Air Group, is laying off 120 employees in Portland and Seattle, the Seattle Times reports.
On Tuesday, Alaska announced Horizon would lease four of Horizon's Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jets to Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines and discontinue service on several routes, including: Boise to Idaho Falls, Boise to Los Angeles, Flagstaff/Prescott to Los Angeles, Eureka/Redding to Seattle, Redmond to Los Angeles, and Sacramento to Santa Barbara.
With this move, the carrier will layoff 40 flight attendants and 40 mechanics on Aug. 22 and 40 pilots in early November, all according to seniority.


Read more: Horizon to furlough 120 - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle)

 

[JetSpeed219]

This is due to the 4 RJ's being leased to ASA. There is no planned growth until 2012 (I think?) as far as more deliveries.

 

[jkurtfly]

This is due to the 4 RJ's being leased to ASA. There is no planned growth until 2012 (I think?) as far as more deliveries.

One airline recalls at the expense of other group. Very sad. Hopefully Horizon gets some good news in the future. Mesaba is feeling your pain.

 

[McNugent]

One airline recalls at the expense of other group. Very sad. Hopefully Horizon gets some good news in the future. Mesaba is feeling your pain.

I would hardly consider the ASA recalls "at the expense" of the Horizon pilots. There is absolutely no correlation. Their management didn't have work for the their planes and decided to make money from them instead of letting them sit around.

Good luck to Horizon!

 

[GuppyWN]

Don't they already (still) have guys on furlough?

Gup

 

[QXbuzzard]

QX does have pilots on furlough. They had just recalled 8, and they will be back on the street in Nov. This latest is the result of leasing 4 RJ's to ASA. It was inevitable though. The company is really desparate to get rid of the RJ's. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wants the remaining 13 jets, Horizon would just lease them away and furlough another 130 or so. Horizon seems to be a sinking ship these days. All I know is I am trying to get out fast. The Q400 is going to be the demise of this place.

 

[CX880]

Why doesn't Horizon get more Q400 contracts? I thought they practically invented it? Too expensive or not enough logistics to handle more than Alaska flying?

 

[QXbuzzard]

The company used to say that they didn't want to do contract flying. It wasn't in their nature. They wanted to stay a brand name for themselves. Now I think it may be the only way to survive as Skywest and Allegiant fly to most of our cities. Skywest offers much better connection opportunities than we do. Billings, MT for instance we overnight 1 400 that has to fly 2 hours west to SEA to connect people. Skywest has atleast 4 RJ's that connect people to SLC and DEN. Allegiant does nonstop LAX. Management has blamed our wages for the lack of or mostly nonexistent contract flying. I will tell you that my hourly rate might be a few dollars more than that of an FO at Skywest, but they can credit more and make more than I can each bid period. That and you have to find an FO at Skywest who has been there as long as I have been at QX. They would only be an FO by choice. We also don't have any aircraft getting delivered anytime soon, or enough on order for someone to want us to do flying. Who really knows the truth though.

 

[buscap]

I hate to see things go south for Horizon. They were my number one pick to start my career. I never heard a bad word about their management or pilots.

 

[kf4amu]

I hate to see things go south for Horizon. They were my number one pick to start my career. I never heard a bad word about their management or pilots.

That's the problem...only the ********************ty regionals grow. The rest shrink and furlough.