Regional Turnover

[cynic]

Is it possible that the Regional Airlines have a calculated turnover rate? Let us assume (and I’m making up numbers here, so no need to point that out) that it costs 50,000.00 to train a pilot for a Regional Jet at Mesa.

At some point it is cheaper to train a new pilot than it is to pay the salary of the old pilot. That is, it is likely much cheaper for the airline to average some number (say 5 years) of years of pilot service. At which point it’s cheaper to fork out the cash to train a new pilot and pay him/her the lower wages for the next few years.

Do you suppose someone has sat down and figured out that with this schedule pilots will stay for 5 years (making up numbers again) and then they will quit. If we make the working conditions worse, pilots leave sooner and training costs go up. If we make the conditions better, pilots stay too long and labor costs go up.

 

[jarhead]

Your hypothetical scenario would exist at any major carrier as well. That is the reason that the unions exist. Otherwise, if all pilots were working at the will of the employer, there would be no senior captains drawing down the “big bucks”. The most junior guy has to pass the same proficiency standards and medical standards as the most senior guys. It's all in the actuarial numbers that the number crunchers go through in contract negotiations.