Mesaba Airlines Poised for Massive Growth

[flyboyzz1]

I didn't say they were going to spike like they did. I said they will not be at $60 for that long...not long enough for the airlines to recover and start adding flights like they used to. Look at the trend of oil....it goes UP! It will continue to go up when countries like China and India continue to join the world powers. China and India weren't even a problem in the 70s. Face it, we are only going to have less and less oil in the future and the oil we will still have is much harder to harvest. Through in speculators and opec greed and you will see oil forced back on the positive trend.

It all comes to this...Airlines will continue to do everything they can to do away with 50 seat jets.

 

[xjhawk]

I am not going to shove it in others face as Mesaba grows and others shrink. But most of the time I have been at Mesaba its been tough. 7 year FO's not by choice, furloughs etc. Now we are growing and I am at least able to cover my bills, get a head on loans and take a real vacation once in a while. Guess what? i am happy for our growth, but mark my words, I am truely sorry for others who are suffering with layoffs. OUr industry and economy is in a bad place to put it lightly. That said, good luck to you all, I just know that its a rough road for all of us. The regional career-who would have thought

 

[Monster Buck]

Where do you guys get this stuff? 1/10 the number of 50-seaters? Pull your head out of your a**.

Oil is $64/barrel and back in the price range that makes 50-seaters very lucrative. Passenger bookings are poor from the recessed economy. Seems to me that 50-seaters are going to be the hot airplane in 2009.

I got it from my proby interviews where we talk about everything under the moon. In my last meeting with the flight manager..."I have the fleet numbers for next year" we went over movement projections... quote "this year we saw -200 reductions....09 we will see the death of the -200".

Take what you want from it. Call it bs, its up to you. The -200 and other 50 seat jets will come under mass reductions in 09 if they fly for Delta. Flight managment is where I got the BS as you put it. Hence counting your blessings on the all the 900's and saabs.
Go ask the other DCI carriers for Delta and they will tell you what I am talking about. I hope they find alternatives as I don't want to see anyone furloughed. I was at Mesaba for ten years and loved the airline and the people. I have nothing but the upmost respect for the regional pilots. Just because you don't like what I said doesn't mean its BS. Trust me on this.....I know I don't know everything thats going on.....I don't pretend to. Just like you don't know everything that is going on.

 

[xjhawk]

Not sure all will go, come on lets be real monster buck. I know that of the 9 total future delta connections, we will lose one or two. But take a hard look at how many 200 will be left in the 7 or 8 surviving regionals for Delta. You would be looking at massive reductions, I doubt they will take that many out of service. A lot yes, I agree. But not the total death.

 

[Tarzan]

All this according to Airline Pilot Central.com You decide how and why this growth is being assigned to Mesaba.

Trojan

Trojan,
You generally make some informed posts. Once again, you do your homework before posting. I am buzzed from a couple too many rum and cokes so if I ramble or misspell.... Sorry.

The reason why Mesaba is in line for some growth is plain to see. After the BK forced new rates on them and they lost a great deal of pilots, their operating costs per hour dropped... Significantly. Going from seven year FO's and senior CA to CA with two years seniority equals a bunch. A less senior pilot group makes for cheaper costs per hour. Additionally, if DL can bring more planes to spread the cost across, they look even more attractive ecspecially when the money stays in DL's account (still earning interest).

Bottom line... More new planes, lower MX costs and more planes to spread the cost around. More NEW pilots, lower crew costs.

The ace in the hole for ASA and Skywest is that we have a shrewd bunch running the show in St George. They know how to make money and know what they need to do to save on costs. My bet is AS and SkyWest stay put in this game with DL.

 

[Crizz]

Just hold on a sec..

It's amazing how a good little airline's name can be drug through the mud so quickly. People at this company have been through an aweful lot - do you forget that just 3 short years ago there were more airframes on property than there currently are today?

I think everyone forgets that big brother acquired us for pennies on the dollar while the company was reduced to it's "core business." We will be spun off and sold to high bidders (reference Express... err Pinnacle circa 2003). This spin off is predicated on actual value being added to the company - i.e. growth to the magnitude we're seeing.

To throw stones at a guy simply because he has a better lot in the industry in this time slice is childish. Lets not forget that many enjoying these "good times" have lived the bad times at this company since far before many throwing stones were even in the game...


And by the way.. pay rates have very little to do with actual compensation. In October I flew 53 hours. My credit was 122 hours. You can have your $104/hour, Mesa.

 

[outtahere]

Only one problem with this so called speculation. ASA is guarnteed 80% of ALL DCI flying out of ATL. So, maybe some growth for Mesaba, but eventually Delta is going to have to grow ASA to keep with the conractual promise made to ASA during the Skywest aquisition. Also, Skywest holds the leases to all of the Delta gates on C concourse, so if Delta starts doing funny math they can sublease those gates to Airtran!

 

[rightseatjocky]

LoL, Does it really matter? Mesaba, welcome to Atlanta. Welcome to the games of being vectored and holding for no reason. Delta plays every one against everyone here. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

 

[PA44Jockey]

*****Looking at history you will find that oil prices (adjusted for the value of todays dollar) have only exceeded $60/barrel three time over the past 140 years. Once in the 1870s, once in the 1970-80s, and currently. To think that the spike in oil prices over this past summer are a long term indicator of future prices is just*****asinine. Relatively speaking even $60/barrel is*****extraordinary*****high.*****

OPEC is cutting production right now based on demand. The oil companies right now are breaking even at 60.00/barrel. You will see gas go back up, but it is unknown how far. Keep in mind that these airlines still have fuel hedges. I beileve Delta is still paying near 90.00/barrel with their hedges.

 

[Raskal]

Man, this thread is exhausting. I enjoy working for XJ, I got what I wanted by coming here and I enjoy the people I work with. But this combination of constant, unsubstantiated rumors and the "us against them" attitude of people is sometimes tiring.

If it weren't for a couple of days timing I would have taken a job here 4 years ago in a crj200 class-and I would have been on the street a month later. Remember that? Remember the huge rush to hire so many pilots for planes that XJ didn't have and never got?

I'm not saying that there won't be growth, but I've done nothing but hear 4 months worth of rumors now and you know what? Not one new aircraft. Lots of new hires, no new planes and no announcement that was supposed to be out like 14 fridays ago.

Believe it when they show up on the ramp, that's all.