Shuttle America Furloughs Coming Soon?

[efiscompmon]

Reading between the lines....

Good afternoon!

By now, most of you have already read the news articles that we will be gradually winding down the US Airways PIT operation throughout the summer. I have said before (Feb. 2004 update) we are scheduled to return nine aircraft when they come off lease in October of this year. That will leave us with 11 aircraft in the fleet which 10 of them are now under contract to United beginning June 3rd. Add to this, and acting as a primary driver, is the fact that Airways also intends on shrinking the PIT hub considerably in the latter part of this year. So, after doing the math on fleet count, as well as considering what is going to happen in PIT, the news regarding our contractual relationship with Airways should not have been a surprise to anyone.

I would have preferred that ‘official’ notice would have come from me. The facts are that a local Fort Wayne reporter somehow got word of the situation and contacted the Airways Corporate Communication folks. They confirmed it and from there, the story took off.

I have not directly addressed these issues because I have been making inquiries with the owners of the lease return aircraft about the possibility of lease extensions. The intent is that if we can get attractive terms for extensions on some or all of the aircraft, we may have an attractive turbo-prop lift offering to make to a code share partner including possibly United in order to maintain our current size and employee headcount base. These negotiations are still in discussion. Bottom line it may be a long-shot but one, in my opinion, still worth pursuing.

This note probably does not offer much consolation to the PIT Line Maintenance, PIT Customer Service and FWA Customer Service personnel. We will be working with you on other opportunities that may come this including placement either internally in Shuttle or externally with a replacement carrier once Airways decides what they are going to do. We were successful with the HGR Customer Service station transition last month by placing our people with the replacement carrier. We will be in contact with you individually soon once we have the June United start-up completed. In the meantime, I ask for your continued patience.

"Don't leave. The jets are coming soon! Don't leave! We won't furlough! We have plans for the future!"

 

[cargoflyr69]

Efis-

Shame on you... Don't you know its unprofessional to air the company laundry on a public site like this? I can tell by your profile that you are one of the disenfranchised shuttle pilots. I like the one about your certificates in Mel's pocket, but I do think that will only happen if you do something to cause it.

If you want our pilot group to be treated like professionals lets act like it. With that said, let the public company b!tch-fest begin.

 

[efiscompmon]

It's not laundry--it's a fact. Dirty laundry would take the form of GM's well-written post on the employee board--this is just SD's weekly message, not a state secret. A quick keyword search for "shuttle" in the FWA paper this week would reveal as much.

Just illustrating for those who believe that we will be in business after the leases on the saabs come due...that we won't be!

 

[cargoflyr69]

Indeed the writing may well already be on the wall with regard to our future at Shuttle. Aside from my disguised sarcasm on the above post, I think there may be more discrete places to discuss the internal memo that you cut-and-pasted here. Namely the company website message board or the lesser known yahoo groups page that one of our FWA pilots put together a few months back.

I did read GM's post on the company site and I'm glad he has the balls to speak his mind so freely and openly. I know that there are many many more people flying the line right now that echo his sentiment but are afraid to speak about it. PM me if you have any other Shuttle America gripes you wanna share!!! No hard feelings my friend and remember you and I are in this together!

 

[I.P. Freley]

>>>Shame on you... Don't you know its unprofessional to air the company laundry on a public site like this?<<<

Wouldn't be the first time.

Next s/he'll be pooh-poohing the CP.

*whoops!*

There it is in their profile.

 

[I.P. Freley]

>>>I did read GM's post on the company site and I'm glad he has the balls to speak his mind so freely and openly.<<<

Exactly. Well, not in "The World According to EFIS", it isn't.

So... It's "d***ed if you do, d***ed if you don't".

First it's "the CEO won't tell us anything, so he's an a$$".

Now it's "the CEO told us what we already figured, so he's STILL an a$$".

Well, efis, which do you want? Deafening silence or the cold hard truth? Sounds like you don't like what you hear either way.

Shocking.

 

[328dude]

I thought Shuttle was getting CRJ-900's? Viper?


http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33796&highlight=Shuttle+America

 

[efiscompmon]

First it's "the CEO won't tell us anything, so he's an a$$".

Now it's "the CEO told us what we already figured, so he's STILL an a$$".

My point exactly. A few weeks ago there was no chance of furloughs. What has changed? Only their story. The mathematics of the lines of flying and number of a/c haven't.

Well, efis, which do you want? Deafening silence or the cold hard truth? Sounds like you don't like what you hear either way.

Certainly not the first and I don't believe that we've gotten the second. What we have received is denial followed by equivocation aimed at keeping employees in denial, or worse and more cruelly, given a false hope. "We'll get RJs; but the investors are spooked by oil prices being $40+/bbl. When those pesky a-rabs lower prices, we'll be set."

Yeah. It's the fuel prices. Not that CHQ, TSA or anyone else is getting their go-juice any cheaper. It's fuel prices that keep us from being a competitive RJ lift provider.

Just like it was the pilot pay that would make or break our airline's survival. GE Capital, Saab Leasing and U management all thought we made too much and THEY demanded concessions.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice.....

 

[tyuwerty]

efiscompmon = A S S H O L E

 

[efiscompmon]

Wow. Profound.

You've certainly shown me the error of my ways!

 

[BendOverAgain?]

I belive a picture is worth a thousand words.

Look Left.

 

[Viper1948]

328dude


Wait and see....wait and see

V

 

[328dude]

It must be nice living in your world.

 

[Viper1948]

Patience grasshopper...all things come to those who wait...or Not

 

[328dude]

For the sake of all the great gals and guys over there. I hope your right. Best of luck.


See ya around PIT>

 

[efiscompmon]

and stuff I never should have rented.

now THAT is funny!