TAWS
RAH crew transport
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Yeah, but it gets colder in MSP - keeps everything fresh!!!!
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TAWS
RAH crew transport
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Northwest Cancels Flights
Because of Pilot Shortage
By SUSAN CAREY
July 28, 2007 8:39 a.m.
Northwest Airlines Corp., which has been struggling for a month with a pilot shortage that is forcing it to cancel abnormally high numbers of flights, today said a "significant spike" in absenteeism by some pilots assigned to narrowbody planes led to increased cancellations that it expects will continue through the weekend.
Northwest, the nation's fifth-largest airline by traffic, expects to complete just 93% of its scheduled flights today, meaning it will cancel about 100 of its 1,400 daily flights, infuriating passengers who got little or no notice. Normally, airlines complete 98% or 99% of their scheduled flights. Doug Steenland, the airline's chief executive, said in a memo to employees today that he assumes there will be increased cancellations tomorrow and Sunday as well.
The company ran short of pilots toward the end of June and had to cut 10% to 15% of its daily flights, moves it blamed on a huge increase in pilot sick calls and other absences. Federal regulations and union contracts limit how many hours a month pilots can fly. Toward the end of the month, when they have put it their maximum hours, is when airlines sometimes run short of staff. In response, the company said it dropped one European flight permanently, planned to cut its domestic capacity in August by 3% and redoubled efforts to recall its pilots on furlough.
When the problems began cropping up again in the past week, Northwest said it had pre-cancelled some flights, giving passengers advance notice of schedule changes. It also decided to pare its domestic capacity in August by 4% instead of 3%, and said it will hire 250 to 350 new pilots to help bolster staffing.
Last weekend, the company cancelled 51 flights on Saturday and 58 on Sunday, although some of the flights were culled due to maintenance issues. On Monday, it completed less than 97% of its schedule. Things seemed to improve by mid-week, but Mr. Steenland said in today's memo that increased cancellations today "will present operating challenges, because it is the peak of summer and the airline's other flights are very full.
Capt. Monty Montgomery, a spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association branch at Northwest, said he hadn't seen the CEO's memo. "This is and always has been a staffing problem," he said. "We notified the company about this months ago. There is absolutely no attempt by Northwest pilots to disrupt the schedule." In fact, he said, the union sent reminders to pilots this week, telling them the importance of calling in sick only when they are sick.
Capt. Montgomery said cumulative fatigue from flying 90 hours a month for many months could be a factor in the absences. He said the union has concerns about whether Northwest has enough manpower to fly the reduced August schedule. It takes 40 days to retrain furloughees who return to work to be ready to fly, and it takes even longer to train new-hire pilots.
Northwest, which emerged from bankruptcy-court protection nearly two months ago, used the process to win concessionary labor contracts that require employees to work longer hours for less money and reduced benefits. The new conditions have provoked widespread unhappiness. The airline has been careful not to accuse the pilots of an illegal job action.
Write to Susan Carey at [email protected]
Because of Pilot Shortage
By SUSAN CAREY
July 28, 2007 8:39 a.m.
Northwest Airlines Corp., which has been struggling for a month with a pilot shortage that is forcing it to cancel abnormally high numbers of flights, today said a "significant spike" in absenteeism by some pilots assigned to narrowbody planes led to increased cancellations that it expects will continue through the weekend.
Northwest, the nation's fifth-largest airline by traffic, expects to complete just 93% of its scheduled flights today, meaning it will cancel about 100 of its 1,400 daily flights, infuriating passengers who got little or no notice. Normally, airlines complete 98% or 99% of their scheduled flights. Doug Steenland, the airline's chief executive, said in a memo to employees today that he assumes there will be increased cancellations tomorrow and Sunday as well.
The company ran short of pilots toward the end of June and had to cut 10% to 15% of its daily flights, moves it blamed on a huge increase in pilot sick calls and other absences. Federal regulations and union contracts limit how many hours a month pilots can fly. Toward the end of the month, when they have put it their maximum hours, is when airlines sometimes run short of staff. In response, the company said it dropped one European flight permanently, planned to cut its domestic capacity in August by 3% and redoubled efforts to recall its pilots on furlough.
When the problems began cropping up again in the past week, Northwest said it had pre-cancelled some flights, giving passengers advance notice of schedule changes. It also decided to pare its domestic capacity in August by 4% instead of 3%, and said it will hire 250 to 350 new pilots to help bolster staffing.
Last weekend, the company cancelled 51 flights on Saturday and 58 on Sunday, although some of the flights were culled due to maintenance issues. On Monday, it completed less than 97% of its schedule. Things seemed to improve by mid-week, but Mr. Steenland said in today's memo that increased cancellations today "will present operating challenges, because it is the peak of summer and the airline's other flights are very full.
Capt. Monty Montgomery, a spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association branch at Northwest, said he hadn't seen the CEO's memo. "This is and always has been a staffing problem," he said. "We notified the company about this months ago. There is absolutely no attempt by Northwest pilots to disrupt the schedule." In fact, he said, the union sent reminders to pilots this week, telling them the importance of calling in sick only when they are sick.
Capt. Montgomery said cumulative fatigue from flying 90 hours a month for many months could be a factor in the absences. He said the union has concerns about whether Northwest has enough manpower to fly the reduced August schedule. It takes 40 days to retrain furloughees who return to work to be ready to fly, and it takes even longer to train new-hire pilots.
Northwest, which emerged from bankruptcy-court protection nearly two months ago, used the process to win concessionary labor contracts that require employees to work longer hours for less money and reduced benefits. The new conditions have provoked widespread unhappiness. The airline has been careful not to accuse the pilots of an illegal job action.
Write to Susan Carey at [email protected]
Just like when fedex, ups, swa, continental were never an airline of choice? You never know what can happen these days. Today's golden eggs could be tomorrows turds, and vice versa.
instructordude
Playing with Fire
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2006
- Posts
- 975
Well put. People make fun of Gojets but you never know where they will be down the road. The turd today is the golden egg tommorow.
YourPilotFriend
YourPilotFriend
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2005
- Posts
- 1,570
You are right, in 20 years time Gojet could reach up there with the likes of mesa.
Secret Squirrel
Well-known member
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- Jun 6, 2003
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- 1,257
Dumb Pilot
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2006
- Posts
- 1,570
Nobody is that good of an actor, he is a clueless idiot
JohnyChimpo22
Active member
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- Jun 1, 2006
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