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.

 

[NoJoy]

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

I don't know about that-SkyWest in one of the top regionals to work for-but their days of growing may be strongly affected by the United/CAL merger (scope).
I have lots of friends who work for QX, and I wish them all luck.

 

[SBD]

As an OH pilot, I feel your guys pain. Good luck to Horizon group.

 

[NWaviator]

Here's one ----- QX Management has no idea what they are doing. 83 people have been on furlough for 19+ months. After 4 years on furlough those people on furlough are removed from the seniority list. Bye bye.

 

[QXbuzzard]

Basically the first few groups of furloughs are coming up on 2 years this fall. I have always thought that they were never coming back anyway based on our fleet plan of 48 airplanes. The number of pilots needed to staff those planes would never bring them back. This place has been nothing more than a huge disappointment. A great group of employees, but an awful and greedy bunch of idiots running the company. Funny thing is, in the mid to late 90's Horizon was bigger than SkyWest and QX has been flying jets since before the RJ was even thought of. Nothing like moving back in time to shrink and be an all turboprop fleet. Like I said the Q400 is going to ruin this airline. They are unreliable, fly in the weather instead of above it for 2 hour flights. It's capacity is hurting our small markets and they keep reducing frequency in to our small markets and provide bad connection opportunities.

 

[Carl_Spackler]

QX is negotiations right? Just negotiate a 6 year recall into a new agreement.

 

[pipejockey]

40 pilots, 40 FA's and 40 Mechanics gone huh? So how many managers and office staff were let go as well? I mean it seems only fair they take their hit as well.

 

[jumppilot]

QX is negotiations right? Just negotiate a 6 year recall into a new agreement.

I agree but look at the bigger picture.

Who would want to come back to a regional after 6 years on furlough? Hopefully by then you'll have found a job that pays more. Heck, in that time you could go to nursing school and already a few years seniority at a hospital in downtown Seattle making great money.

Just sayin'.

 

[onewithwings]

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)

They forgot to mention the dispatchers that will get furloughed too!

 

[MALSR]

This thread is missing one major point. Horizon pilots and mechanics are in open contract negotiations. The pilot group is on the verge of voting for a TA which most assuredly incorporates pay cuts. With this being said, why on earth would Horizon be the company of milk and honey during these times. Instead, management will make it the worst possible place to be until they get what they want- a pay cut. Conversely, what if management was doing the opposite; making this a great place to be, valuing its employees, etc. Then the company would have no position of leverage with regards to contract negotiations. Its just a game. Some will be able to wait it out better than others. My guess is that when all the pay cuts are in place Horizon will grow with Q400 options going to an LAX base. Management is creating doom and gloom and times of uncertainty (even while maintaining profitability) in order to position themselves for another 9 to 10-year cost structure that suits them.

 

[pipejockey]

The pilot group is on the verge of voting for a TA which most assuredly incorporates pay cuts.

WHAT!!! Are you freaking kidding me? As if it isn't bad enough for regional pilots to take pay cuts when their company is in bankruptcy, now a regional pilot group is going to take pay cuts when their company isn't even bankrupt? I just can't see how this industry can get any worse, then I hear garbage like this. The airline industry has gotten what they want, and that is over half of the domestic flights in this country being flown by the puke regionals because of the significantly lower labor costs, and they can't even spread a little of the savings the pilots way huh? Airline management truly needs to be lined up and mowed down!!!