LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- "Why would UPS, which owns the safest airline in the world, outsource the flying of cargo from the Far East into Middle America on one of the world's most dangerous airlines," asked Captain Tom Nicholson, President of the Independent Pilots Association.
ADVERTISEMENT
The IPA recently discovered that UPS Supply Chain Solutions has been outsourcing more than 300 flights a year, on a single route, from its own airline to China Airlines. Six times a week, under the cover of darkness, a China Airlines 747 arrives in Nashville to deliver 60 tons of cargo to one of America's largest computer manufacturers. Until August 2001, these flights were made by FedEx, but that's when UPS Supply Chain Solutions won the contract and created a freight forwarding package that outsourced the flying to China Airlines.
"The 2,500 UPS pilots have an unblemished safety record. China Airlines uses foreign aircrews that are not required to go through the same background checks as American pilots," said Capt. Nicholson. He went on to say, "China Airlines is not a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization."
In the last decade, China Airlines has lost four wide-body jets at the cost of 688 lives. China Airlines' latest crash in May of 2002 was a Boeing 747 bound for Hong Kong that broke up in mid-flight, killing all 225 aboard.
"Night after night China Airlines flies cargo into America that has not been screened to the to the U.S. standard, if it has been screened at all," said Capt. Nicholson.
A survey of more than 1,000 American adults conducted earlier this month revealed that 83 percent of Americans are opposed to allowing China Airlines to fly their cargo planes into the United States. The survey also found that more than 72 percent of Americans are opposed to UPS outsourcing pilot labor to China Airlines.
Survey methodology: Random sample of 1,016 American adults aged 18 and older. Margin of error is +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level. Interviews were conducted by telephone from Oct 6 through 10, 2004. Interviews were completed by International Communications Research of Media, Pennsylvania at the direction of FrederickPolls, LLC, an Arlington, Virginia-based opinion research firm.
The IPA is the collective bargaining unit for the 2,500 professional pilots who fly the 268 heavy jet UPS fleet. IPA pilots fly more than 1,890 UPS flight segments every day to multiple points over five continents. In addition to being the world's largest transportation company, UPS is also the world's eleventh largest airline.
ADVERTISEMENT
The IPA recently discovered that UPS Supply Chain Solutions has been outsourcing more than 300 flights a year, on a single route, from its own airline to China Airlines. Six times a week, under the cover of darkness, a China Airlines 747 arrives in Nashville to deliver 60 tons of cargo to one of America's largest computer manufacturers. Until August 2001, these flights were made by FedEx, but that's when UPS Supply Chain Solutions won the contract and created a freight forwarding package that outsourced the flying to China Airlines.
"The 2,500 UPS pilots have an unblemished safety record. China Airlines uses foreign aircrews that are not required to go through the same background checks as American pilots," said Capt. Nicholson. He went on to say, "China Airlines is not a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization."
In the last decade, China Airlines has lost four wide-body jets at the cost of 688 lives. China Airlines' latest crash in May of 2002 was a Boeing 747 bound for Hong Kong that broke up in mid-flight, killing all 225 aboard.
"Night after night China Airlines flies cargo into America that has not been screened to the to the U.S. standard, if it has been screened at all," said Capt. Nicholson.
A survey of more than 1,000 American adults conducted earlier this month revealed that 83 percent of Americans are opposed to allowing China Airlines to fly their cargo planes into the United States. The survey also found that more than 72 percent of Americans are opposed to UPS outsourcing pilot labor to China Airlines.
Survey methodology: Random sample of 1,016 American adults aged 18 and older. Margin of error is +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level. Interviews were conducted by telephone from Oct 6 through 10, 2004. Interviews were completed by International Communications Research of Media, Pennsylvania at the direction of FrederickPolls, LLC, an Arlington, Virginia-based opinion research firm.
The IPA is the collective bargaining unit for the 2,500 professional pilots who fly the 268 heavy jet UPS fleet. IPA pilots fly more than 1,890 UPS flight segments every day to multiple points over five continents. In addition to being the world's largest transportation company, UPS is also the world's eleventh largest airline.
