FlyBoeingJets
YES, that's NICE
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2003
- Posts
- 1,802
Dizel8 said:Further, I should mention, that not to long ago, UPS and FedEx were foaming at the mouth, upset about the DHL-Deutsche Post debacle, yet now UPS/IPA are willing to consider open skies and foreign ownership . Perhaps, just perhaps, the UPS IPA pilots should start thinking, that with the new contract, which they certainly deserve, are going to very highly compensated, more so than probably all foreign freight carriers. Sure, they have a contract that forbids outsourcing, yet the Menlo story continues to unfold. FedEx really is in the same boat.
So I guess, all of us, freight and passenger, are in this one together!
Dizel,
Been giving this one some thought. If cabotage were allowed, would it be cargo or pax? I think it will be cargo first. (In the U.S., its already a reality in Alaska) It is less politically risky. No one cares if there is a "danger" to their package by it being carried by Chinese pilots. Isn't UPS chartering at least a flight a week on a Chinese freighter to Kentucky? The menlo thing is also another nose under the tent.
There is also no worry about the U.S. cargo transportation system. We have enough carriers to do that without FedEx and UPS. The U.S. military contracts with Evergreen, Atlas, Polar, Gemini, World, etc. FedEx is only a small fraction of the lift. (<5%). I'm not counting the mail contract. UPS doesn't even play in military contracts, last I checked, because they are allergic to hazardous cargo.
The mail contract will help keep revenue up at FedEx or at UPS if it changes hands. As long as the revenue keeps coming there will be an uneasy truce between management and pilots at these two, IMHO. If one angers their pilots the other will clean up. And the showdown with DHL/Astar appears to be almost 5 years in the future, if it comes at all. Basically not even a consideration due to the distance. FedEx and UPS want open skies because hey would expand more in Europe than DHL would expand here, so the thinking goes. I wonder if they are selling us beachfront property with that claim. Open skies would give FedEx and UPS at least a chance to compete with DHL in Europe as DHL is starting to compete with us in the CONUS.
Last edited: