US Airways pilots give tentative nod to Embraer 190s
Tuesday October 4, 2005 US Airways pilots, with an eye on JetBlue, reached a tentative agreement with the airline to operate the Embraer 190 as part of mainline service at a rate that will make the jets competitive with the low-cost carrier that launched the 100-seater."We agreed on a pay rate as well as a restriction to fly only as mainline," Jack Stephan, a spokesperson for the US Airways pilots, told ATWOnline. "That one issue was sent out for member ratification with a strong endorsement to ratify the agreement."
The decision was part of an overall transition agreement between the pilot groups at America West and US Airways, both of which are represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., as well as management, Stephan explained. The US Airways scope clause prohibited the operation of aircraft with more than 70 seats by Regional partners, but at one point the pilots agreed to allow 190 operations at the now-defunct MidAtlantic division although no 190 orders ever were placed, he said. The Embraer 170 flying originally planned for MidAtlantic has been shifted to partner Republic Airways and the aircraft sold to the independent airline.
"I think the world has changed since we first allowed the 190s to be flown at MidAtlantic," said Stephan. "There was permission to fly them outside the mainline. We had a chance to revisit that issue. It became clear that it was in the best interest of our pilot groups that the airplane not be flown anywhere but the mainline." He said the pilots tied the pay scale for the 190 to the size of the aircraft and the revenue it could generate.
"All we had to do was to point to JetBlue. They don't have a separate division," he noted. "If you are talking seat-mile costs, we can give you a competitive rate and let you fly that on the mainline. I think it's an improvement over what we had."
by Sandra Arnoult
Tuesday October 4, 2005 US Airways pilots, with an eye on JetBlue, reached a tentative agreement with the airline to operate the Embraer 190 as part of mainline service at a rate that will make the jets competitive with the low-cost carrier that launched the 100-seater."We agreed on a pay rate as well as a restriction to fly only as mainline," Jack Stephan, a spokesperson for the US Airways pilots, told ATWOnline. "That one issue was sent out for member ratification with a strong endorsement to ratify the agreement."
The decision was part of an overall transition agreement between the pilot groups at America West and US Airways, both of which are represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., as well as management, Stephan explained. The US Airways scope clause prohibited the operation of aircraft with more than 70 seats by Regional partners, but at one point the pilots agreed to allow 190 operations at the now-defunct MidAtlantic division although no 190 orders ever were placed, he said. The Embraer 170 flying originally planned for MidAtlantic has been shifted to partner Republic Airways and the aircraft sold to the independent airline.
"I think the world has changed since we first allowed the 190s to be flown at MidAtlantic," said Stephan. "There was permission to fly them outside the mainline. We had a chance to revisit that issue. It became clear that it was in the best interest of our pilot groups that the airplane not be flown anywhere but the mainline." He said the pilots tied the pay scale for the 190 to the size of the aircraft and the revenue it could generate.
"All we had to do was to point to JetBlue. They don't have a separate division," he noted. "If you are talking seat-mile costs, we can give you a competitive rate and let you fly that on the mainline. I think it's an improvement over what we had."
by Sandra Arnoult
