Nice artical on ExpressJet..

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Stole this from an ExpressJet pilots forum:

From the Nov 2005 Airline Pilot Careers Magazine

In an industry where several companies are sinking fast, treading water is not such a bad thing. The aquatic metaphors notwithstanding, ExpressJet Holdings, Inc. seems to be in as good a position as any other regional carrier as it looks toward the future, with many new aircraft orders and a strong hiring schedule for the upcoming year.

COMPANY PROFILE

Operating as Continental Express, the regional carrier for Continental Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. offers regional jet service to approximately 152 destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. ExpressJet operates all of Continental’s regional service from its hubs in Houston, New York/Newark and Cleveland, and additional non-hub service. Flights are carried out with a fleet of 264 regional jets, consisting of the 37-seat ERJ-135, the 50-seat ERJ-145 and the 50-seat ERJ-145XR. The airline, owned by ExpressJet Holdings, Inc, employs approximately 6,800 people and is headquartered in Houston.

The carrier’s lineage is diverse—an amalgamation of several smaller airlines purchased by Continental, including Bar Harbor Airlines in Maine, Provincetown-Boston Airlines (PBA) in New England, Rocky Mountain Air from Denver, Colorado and Britt Airways from Texas. The new airline began operating as Continental Express in January 1989 and was later acquired by Continental Airlines. It became ExpressJet and subsequently the operating subsidiary of ExpressJet Holdings, Inc. following an initial public offering in April 2002.

Prior to 9/11, Continental was already making plans to transform Continental Express into an independent entity—but the terrorist attacks and the ensuing effect on the economy hastened the process. In 2002, the spin-off gradually began; today Continental now owns just 8.5 percent of the regional carrier.

In many ways, 2005 has been an eventful year for ExpressJet. In January, ExpressJet President and CEO Jim Ream presented an update on the airline at the Raymond James & Associates Growth Airline Conference in New York City to present the company to individual and corporate investors attracted to airline stocks. In the first quarter, the airline took delivery of several new Embraer 145XR planes, and announced daily nonstops between LAX and three destinations in Mexico: Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, and Morelia. First quarter net income was $23.3 million, or $0.39 diluted earnings per share.

Mid-year, the company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $30 million of the company’s common stock, with the expectation that purchases would be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. According to Ream, the stock buyback program was intended to strengthen stockholder value and take advantage of ExpressJet’s financial and operational strength. ExpressJet reported second quarter net income of $24.3 million, or $0.41 diluted earnings per share. The company has continued to maintain its strong operating performance and cost controls while expanding its operations and RJ fleet.

During the second quarter of 2005, the company’s ExpressJet Airline subsidiary achieved a 13 percent increase in block hours over the same period in the prior year, and maintained excellent operations with a 99.9 percent controllable completion factor, which excludes cancellations due to weather and air traffic control.

Despite the fact that Hurricane Rita resulted in 1,296 cancelled flights at the end of September, the carrier posted relatively strong third quarter, reporting net income of $25.5 million, or $0.43 per diluted share. Ream credited the team effort displayed in the wake of the weather disasters: “Everyone at ExpressJet did a great job quickly recovering the system after the impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which affected five ExpressJet stations and our operations in Continental’s Houston hub.”

That month, ExpressJet revenue passenger miles (RPMs) totaled 671.4 million, up 16.3 percent over September 2004, and available seat miles (ASMs) increased by 8.4 percent compared with September 2004. ExpressJet’s September load factor was 74.2 percent, a 5-point increase over September 2004. The company flew 60,122 block hours, compared with 56,892 block hours in September 2004 (an increase of about 5.7%), and operated 34,602 departures, roughly 7.1% up from the 32,318 departures in September 2004.

Also in September 2005, ExpressJet operated at a 97.3 percent controllable completion factor. This was below the contractual benchmark of 99.5 percent and resulted in ExpressJet making a payment to Continental Airlines under the companies’ capacity purchase agreement.

During the course of the year, the company continued to take delivery of the ERJ-145s on schedule and the pilot hiring schedule increased.

GOING FARTHER

The company added two more ERJ-145XRs to its fleet during the month of October, increasing the total fleet to 263 jets, and plans to add one to two per month through the first half of 2006. ExpressJet spokesperson Kristy Nicholas says that there are options for 100 more XRs. The extra distance allowed by the XR (400 miles further than the 145ER and LR versions) has allowed the company to add cities like Bakersfield, Calif., to their route system, she says.

In addition, ExpressJet is aggressively adding routes throughout Mexico—the company currently serves over 30 cities south of the border—and was in fact chosen as the “Best Airline for Flights to Mexico” by Executive Travel magazine. ExpressJet has also been listed in Hispanic magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies for Hispanics.

To increase its income beyond the scope of just its regional carrier business, the company has aggressively pursued additional revenue streams through three affiliates: ExpressJet Services LLC, ExpressJet Training Services, and Wing Aviation, a private charter company. Wing Aviation operates a fleet consisting of Gulfstream (the 14-seat 11SP and 11B models and the 12-seat 11SP), the King Air 200, Astra 1125, Challenger 600, and Embraer Legacy. In August, ExpressJet announced that ExpressJet Services received a repair station certificate from the FAA. As Vice President of Flight Operations and Maintenance, Jim Nides, explains: “A third-party repair station certificate allows us to pursue a strategy that leverages our strengths in aircraft maintenance. ExpressJet Airlines is one of the world’s largest regional airline with a first-class maintenance organization that can now provide reliability and engineering expertise to others through ExpressJet Services.”

GROWTH SUPPORTS HIRING

The pilot hiring outlook is fairly bright for ExpressJet throughout 2006. Nicholas notes that the company anticipates hiring an average of 32 pilots per month throughout 2006 (roughly 384 for the year) to support this expansion.

So exactly what kind of person is ExpressJet looking for? Here’s what Nides has to say on that: “In a word: reliable. We’ve figured out the mechanical reliability of the aircraft. Human reliability is the other major component/system on the aircraft that must function as predictably as the mechanical systems.”

“We want a pilot who is safe, reliable and not only operates the aircraft efficiently,” Nides continues, “but also exhibits sound judgment and rational thinking towards the significant impact he or she has on the overall business of running an airline. Whether it is fuel conservation practices or customer service issues, a pilot must be able to act and react to the challenges facing the industry they have chosen for a career. We’re telling our pilots that, now more than ever before, they are strategic partners in the business—much more than an employee who operates the airplane.”

The initial training program consists of 15 days of ground training covering the company’s operational rules and procedures, systems training and specialized training areas. This includes five Flight Training Device (FTD) sessions, followed by an oral equipment exam. Next comes six training sessions in the full motion Level D simulator, and then a proficiency check and a line oriented flight training session. Initial operating experience (IOE) is then completed (typically 35 hours of line flying with a line check airman).

ExpressJet also requires recurrent training throughout its FAA approval program. First officers attend three days of recurrent ground training, one simulator proficiency check and complete an online training program. Similar courses are used for captain upgrade training and re-qualification training. As a regular part of ExpressJet’s comprehensive pilot training, pilots are required to spend 36 hours in flight simulators. In addition to those requirements, captains must complete an additional simulator proficiency check and an annual line check.

CONTRACT NEWS

Late last year, ExpressJet Airlines pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) ratified a new labor agreement. The new agreement currently covers approximately 2,200 pilots and becomes amendable December 1, 2008.

As a result, contract matters should not be an issue for the airline for several years. Says Nides, “The relationship we have with ALPA is excellent. We work out our differences before they get out of control. We have every reason to believe that our next contract negotiations will be as smooth as the last. Negotiations always take longer than we think they should.”

He adds, “We tried our best to get to the final solution as quickly as possible last time. We’ll try again next time as well.”


A BIG FISH IN THE REGIONAL POND

As the investment company, Hoovers, Inc. says, “ExpressJet Holdings flies where no big jet can afford to go.” It seems the company is going up, up—and if you’ve got the right stuff, your career can soar to new heights.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

They see thousands of pilot applications and hundreds of candidates annually—and here they offer ALPC readers some insight from the inside. Jim Nides co-directs the hiring group at ExpressJet along with Vice President of Human Resources and Administration Karen Miles. Kristy Nicholas works closely with Mr. Nides and Ms. Miles.

ALPC: You currently are hiring about 32 pilots per month, is that correct?
KN: Yes, that is pretty accurate. This is parallel to the jet deliveries in 2006.

ALPC: What about ’07?
KN: That will depend on whether or not we exercise any of those other jet options. The latter obviously creates an additional need for resources and pilots. We also have to look at openings as a result of attrition.

ALPC: What do your pilots tell you is the best thing about working for ExpressJet?
JN: They like the people they work with and the mature, professional way the company treats the pilots.

ALPC: What is the average upgrade time for a new-hire first officer at ExpressJet?
JN: Approximately 4 years.

ALPC: Who oversees the hiring process?
KN: Karen Miles (Vice President of Human Resources and Administration) is over the staffing group that brings the candidates in and conducts the pilot interviews. Jim (Nides) provides additional guidance to the group and occasionally participates in the interviews. Also, 50 of our line pilots volunteered to help interview on their days off in 2005. Their help and input is invaluable to the success of our hiring process.

ALPC: Tell us about the process.
KN: The pilot submits the résumé online (http://www.expressjet.com/jobPilot.asp) and then the staffing group gets in touch with that person to get additional information they need about licenses and hours and documentation for background checks and such. Then the candidate will come to Houston and the staffing group does the interviewing. If that pilot is offered a job at ExpressJet and accepts, then they will be set up for training, and the training department takes it from there.

ALPC: Are there any additional tests, such as psychological evaluations, that are a part of the process?
KN: No psychological evaluations. Testing mostly consists of the SIM and check rides, done as part of the training process.

ALPC: This is after they have been offered the position?
KN: Right. You are offered the position, then you complete training, and the position is contingent upon your successfully completing the training.

ALPC: What are the minimum requirements right now?
KN: ExpressJet requires a minimum of 500 total hours and 100 multiengine hours. We also prefer a four-year college degree, but it is not absolutely mandatory.

ALPC: What are competitive hours for hiring?
KN: The average we’re seeing right now is about 1,100 flight hours with about 250 hours multiengine time.

ALPC: Do you have many new hires from other airlines?
KN: We do have a few transferring form other regionals. We get them from all areas, really. We have also done some work to get affiliated with different flight schools and are trying to establish relationships with them. These include Airline Transport Professionals, Delta Connection Academy, Regional Airline Academy, Flight Safety International, Pan Am Flight Academy, Kent State, Texas Southern, Auburn, and Embry Riddle. These schools provide the specialized training necessary to prepare pilots to successfully complete our training program.

ALPC: Do prospective pilots come back for a second interview?
KN: They have an initial interview and then a secondary interview (soon after). Both are with the staffing group and as mentioned earlier some pilots are involved.

ALPC: What are some personality traits you look for?
KN: We have a very young workforce at ExpressJet overall, not just in the pilot area. But even though we are young, we want to make sure we are a responsible workforce. Then there are the basic requirements that you look for in any candidate. We are looking for people who are excited about what they do and love their profession.
JN: (As explained in main article) In a word, the quality we look for is reliable. We’ve figured out the mechanical reliability of the aircraft. Human reliability is the other major component/system on the aircraft that must function as predictably as the mechanical systems. A pilot who is safe, reliable and operates not just the aircraft efficiently, but exhibits sound judgment and rational thinking towards the significant impact he/she has on the overall business of running an airline. Whether it’s fuel conservation practices or customer service issues, a pilot must be able to act and react to the challenges facing the industry they have chosen for a career. We’re telling our pilots that, now more than ever before, they are strategic partners in the business—much more that an employee who operates the airplane.

ALPC: Is there a flow-through program with Continental?
KN: When it was first spun off, Continental still owned 53.1 percent of the company, so the flow-through was still in place. And the way the agreement was written was that once it (ownership) dropped below 50 percent, that flow-through agreement would terminate. Today Continental owns just 8.5 percent. So currently we do not have any flow-through program.

ALPC: Do many pilots come to ExpressJet to stay?
KN: We are finding that people are staying longer and longer. We like that, because it bodes well for the program and the environment. But we also understand that sometimes people move on to other things.

ALPC: When does the next union contract expire?
KN: It runs through December 2008. We did a four-year agreement when we signed the last contract.

ALPC: Have the company’s overall earnings been as expected?
KN: The third quarter earnings were in line with the expectations of the analysts with First Call. Our third quarter net income was $25.5 million.

ALPC: That was pretty satisfactory considering all the cancelled flights, right?
KN: Yes. Rita directly affected the Houston hub and the bottom line.

ALPC: Do you have a feel for what the oil prices will do in the immediate future?
KN: We operate under a fuel price cap, and we get paid cost-plus. So when we were designing the contract with Continental, they obviously didn’t want to pay us a margin on a fuel price that kept going up and up. They pay us cost plus a margin up to a cap, and they take all of the fuel price risk over that cap. So we have a built-in hedge if you will.

ALPC: Is that unique to regionals?
KN: Some have this benefit and some don’t. With some you don’t see fuel in their P & L at all.

ALPC: Are you getting many military hires?
KN: Yes. In the past, our new hires were predominantly from the military, but I don’t think that’s the case now. Our pilots come from a wide variety of places (as noted above).

ALPC: Can you tell me about your new maintenance station and other services and how they will benefit the airline?
KN: Due to the instability of the passenger airline industry, we are looking to expand beyond just providing regional flight services to Continental Airlines. We’re looking for ways to branch out in areas that highlight the things that we do very well. We do maintenance very well and we do training very well, so it makes sense for us to offer those services externally so we can diversify our business and our strategy.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

ALPC: Do you anticipate contracting with other majors in the future?
KN: Right now, Continental is our sole partner, and we are not interested in aligning with another partner just to say we have another partner, especially with four of the six major carriers currently in Chapter 11. The planes we have today are committed to Continental. To work with another partner, we would have to go out and buy new planes, and we aren’t going to spend that money unless we have a long-term deal and a viable business plan for those aircraft. We aren’t going to go out and buy a 16-year asset for a one or two-year deal. The time horizon and the expenditure don’t make sense. Does that mean we are going to shut the door on opportunity and turn companies away forever? No. We would be happy to talk to them and understand their business plan. We want to make sure that it’s beneficial for both sides—ExpressJet and the other carrier.

ALPC: Would you like to discuss new destinations?
KN: Continental determines all of our routes. They have complete control of our schedule. And so they tell us where we are going to fly, and we fly those routes. We’ve seen a lot of expansion into Mexico, and I think Continental has been very pleased with those routes.

ALPC: Jim, can you give us an overview of your career progression as a pilot?
JN: I started as a pilot for COMAIR in 1978 flying passengers in Navajos. I stayed at COMAIR for nearly 18 years. I never planned to make the transition to management; in fact I never intended to make a career flying airplanes. It was something that was unique and fun for awhile until I decided to return to the construction business. Then I was asked to be chief pilot (at Comair) in the early 80s, and then moved to director of operations shortly thereafter. The maintenance department needed some help so I moved over there for nearly five years before returning to the D.O. position. I left COMAIR to take the V.P. Flight Operations position at Express I Airlines in Memphis in 1995. Stayed there for exactly three years before moving to Houston to become the Director of Operations and ultimately the V.P Flight Operations and Maintenance.
I hold a BS in Economics from the University of Cincinnati.

ALPC: Where do you see ExpressJet in three years? In ten years?
JN: Ten years? Way too long for a prediction. What I do know is that ExpressJet runs an airline that is second to none as far as reliability and cooperation among the work groups is concerned. Those are the two objectives I focus on when I look at how to run a good airline. It’s a fun place to work and our folks do a marvelous job. In the current environment, we’re trying to be flexible on all fronts to take advantage of opportunities that will certainly arise in the future.

ALPC: Any plans for the immediate future?
KN: Just to continue to run the excellent operation that we do today, and continue our focus on customer service, controlling costs, making sure that we have the right people in the right places following the right strategies to make this organization as successful as it can be.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pilot Perspective
Interview with Jeremy Moore Cheif Pilot Houston Expressjet

ALPC: When did you first become interested in flying?
JM: I took my first flying lesson when I was 17 after getting hooked on flying model airplanes when I was a kid.

ALPC: Tell us about your background prior to coming on with ExpressJet?
JM: I took flying lessons while in high school in Liberty, N.Y., and graduated with my Private Pilot Certificate. I attended Central Missouri State University and earned the rest of my ratings there in the aviation program. This allowed me to flight instruct while taking classes during my junior and senior years. I also had a summer job flying for an aerial survey service in central Missouri. After graduating, I went to work for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., as a flight instructor prior to being hired by ExpressJet.

ALPC: What are your certifications?
JM: ATP Certificate with EMB-120, ATR-42, ATR-72, EMB-145, B-737 type ratings.

ALPC: How long did it take you to upgrade to captain?
JM: I upgraded in 1997 on the EMB-120 after approximately 10 months, which is comparatively fast. I also flew the ATR-42/72 as a captain and am currently flying the EMB-145 as captain.

ALPC: What was your hiring experience like—and what were your qualifications?
JM: I think I interviewed on a Tuesday and was offered a class date that started exactly 14 days later. I had around 1,300 hours total time and 200 multiengine when I interviewed. I remember the interview being fairly intense and I was not real sure of the outcome after the first session. I was invited back in the afternoon and was offered a job before leaving the interview.

ALPC: What are the greatest benefits to working at ExpressJet?
JM: The people at ExpressJet are probably one of the greatest benefits. It’s a fairly large company with a small company mentality when it comes to dealing with employees. Also, we fly the newest, most well maintained fleet in the regional industry right now. There’s also some great flying in terms of destinations.

ALPC: What advice would you give other pilots who are applying?
JM: Prepare for the interview! The interview focuses on the basics—instrument skills and knowledge, charts, basic aircraft systems, etc. Study as much as you can before you get here

 

[blackbox]

DOnt get too excited about this article. ALPC magazine has a Feature Airline every issue and it makes them sound like the greatest place to work. They make great lakes, colgan, and pinnacle sound like working for PanAm during the "Catch Me if You Can" days.

 

[EMB170Pilot]

DOnt get too excited about this article. ALPC magazine has a Feature Airline every issue and it makes them sound like the greatest place to work. They make great lakes, colgan, and pinnacle sound like working for PanAm during the "Catch Me if You Can" days.

BlackBox, it's because he is a CFI with a Gold Seal....he is a little s l o w e r than the rest if u know what I mean

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

Great article, although MOST, not all the 50 seat jet short haul markets will be dead in 3 or 4 yrs. I think it will be replaced by T- props, altough some high yield markets will still be served by RJ's.

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

BlackBox, it's because he is a CFI with a Gold Seal....he is a little s l o w e r than the rest if u know what I mean

Most of my students passed, but I have no idea how. I sure don't know what I'm doing.

 

[flyupder]

Most of my students passed, but I have no idea how. I sure don't know what I'm doing.

The good ol' days at united. How's your girl doing there?

 

[hotwing]

Be careful with this info... This is BS and this periodical has always been full of crap that has been proven time and time again to be false. They could make Sadam look like a favorable employer... Not to say that XJT is bad, but for sure, things are about to be different over there...

Fact:
XJT has bid on other flying, but were too expensive...
Deliveries are slowing down and in the first qtr of next year, they will slow hiring -- a lot!
They are one of the best REGIONAL airlines out there. There are many others though too. Just be cautios with every piece of info that is out there... It is not as it appears. I know for a fact that this magazine has painted some pretty pictures for some really crappy places...

 

[Turtlesfly]

"artical" ?