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New Pilot Contract Allows American Eagle to Add Larger Embraer Planes to Fleet
American Eagle, American Airlines’ regional carrier, announced on Friday that it had reached an agreement with its pilots union that allows it to add 60 new Embraer 175 aircraft to its fleet. The agreement calls for the addition of the new Embraer planes starting in early 2015 and gives Eagle the option to add up to 90 addition Embraer 175 jets if desired.... (www.frequentbusinesstraveler.com) और अधिक...
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I suspect that at some point the 1500 hour requirement will have to be modified to allow some pilots with fewer hours to start working. Most likely co-pilots at regionals will have their hour requirement reduced.
This would only happen after the regionals run out of pilots to hire. After many flights are canceled to many regional destinations.
Keeping the artificial and tight limits on regional plane size, only makes the major less competitive in the marketplace. It will also greatly aggravate the pending pilot shortage that will greatly impact regional airline operations.
This would only happen after the regionals run out of pilots to hire. After many flights are canceled to many regional destinations.
Keeping the artificial and tight limits on regional plane size, only makes the major less competitive in the marketplace. It will also greatly aggravate the pending pilot shortage that will greatly impact regional airline operations.
I can see the new contract discussions now "Ok so we can't afford to pay you any more than the pennies you're making now, but we will let you have a higher responsibility and workload, aren't we great?"
The regionals will get squeezed between the new 1500 hour requirement for new hires and the majors hiring away their pilots to replace the wave of retirees.
The intro pay at the regionals will have to go up. There is just a minimal level of pay below which many will not even consider.
When you have hundreds or thousands applying for each empty seat, the regionals can get away with paying crap. That will change when they will have to start to cancel flights and routes because they run out of pilots.
Slightly larger regional jets allows:
1) more passengers to be carried
2) more money for pilots to be paid more
3) less reduction in network/ frequency
4) fewer regionals that go broke
5) slightly less cost disadvantage between majors and point to point LCCs.
As a control, mainline pilots can request:
1. Main control being a fleet size percentage control allowing the regional(s) to grow in size in direct proportion to the major
2. Secondary control should be simple and minor, but effective:
All mainline pilots get paid more than all pilots at the regionals.
All mainline planes are larger than all regional planes.
Then give them the flexibility to manage the majors as best they can. Otherwise US aviation may become a bunch of LCCs feeding codeshare traffic into foreign airlines.
The intro pay at the regionals will have to go up. There is just a minimal level of pay below which many will not even consider.
When you have hundreds or thousands applying for each empty seat, the regionals can get away with paying crap. That will change when they will have to start to cancel flights and routes because they run out of pilots.
Slightly larger regional jets allows:
1) more passengers to be carried
2) more money for pilots to be paid more
3) less reduction in network/ frequency
4) fewer regionals that go broke
5) slightly less cost disadvantage between majors and point to point LCCs.
As a control, mainline pilots can request:
1. Main control being a fleet size percentage control allowing the regional(s) to grow in size in direct proportion to the major
2. Secondary control should be simple and minor, but effective:
All mainline pilots get paid more than all pilots at the regionals.
All mainline planes are larger than all regional planes.
Then give them the flexibility to manage the majors as best they can. Otherwise US aviation may become a bunch of LCCs feeding codeshare traffic into foreign airlines.
Well, it's not perfect by a long shot, but for a company that was on the shutdown/spinoff block prior to the merger, it may put the employees in better shape than some of the other regionals. As a wholly owned unit of American and with the flow through process for promotion, they may have an edge.
The flow through would make it a favorite for pilot candidates.
But all (most?) regionals need to improve the starting pay for pilots. Pilots need to ve able to afford to live and bit worry that they ard not able to afford a room the night before their duty time. A bunk bed crash pad is not adequate for a pilot that needs to fly many segments the next day with many lives on the line.
But all (most?) regionals need to improve the starting pay for pilots. Pilots need to ve able to afford to live and bit worry that they ard not able to afford a room the night before their duty time. A bunk bed crash pad is not adequate for a pilot that needs to fly many segments the next day with many lives on the line.
I have heard all the horror stories about pay but STARTING PAY is what needs to be addressed specifically. I'm a thinkin' after you are there awhile that it is not starvation wages. It may not be main line standards but it ain't all that shabby. I know some guys that have been flying regional a long while and have no intention of trying to change. These guys are not beginners and I know they don't work cheap. By the same token, most of these guys have 10years+ and are Captains.
Steps up to over $100k after some years.
But starting pay is poor at many regionals.
When the regionals get squeezed, they'll have to entice new pilot candidates with increasing starting pay.
But starting pay is poor at many regionals.
When the regionals get squeezed, they'll have to entice new pilot candidates with increasing starting pay.
1. First, flying more passengers allows regionals to pay their pilots better. We all benefit from adequately paid pilots. Even first-year pilots (co-pilots usu.) for regionals should be paid enough to be able to pay tier bills, and still be able to afford an hotel room before duty time when necessary.
2. Second, larger planes allows the airline* to be able to offer lower fares an be able to better compete in the marketplace.
(* by the airline I mean the mainline airline)
3. A regional airline that doesn't have costs artificially increased through collective bargaining agreements, that artificially limit the size of its' airplanes won't feel as much pressure to eliminate service to some destinations, in order to maintain profitability.
4. And lastly, bigger regional planes provide more feeder traffic into the mainline airline, which means either bigger planes and/or more flights on the mainline airline. That directly means more pilots and higher incomes for mainline pilots.
Notice that all the above rationales increase profitability at the mainline airline (and regional too). These also tend to create a safer environment for airline crews an passengers. And they tend to increase the pay and employment of mainline pilots.
The only safeguards the pilots should consider asking for and/or implementing would be flexible controls that maintain a mainline fleet that is a percentage of the entire sum of mainline and regional fleets, and that there be a clear definable difference in size between mainline planes and regional planes. (eg. All mainline planes will be larger than all regional planes.)
Then give management flexibility to implement policies that allow both mainline and regional airlines to grow profitably together, unceasing employment and pay scales at both.
Allowing regionals to grow up a bit and pay their pilots better, is overall better and hurts no one (no even mainline pilots if fleet size percentages are enforced).