15 X Ba B744

[cpdude]

According to ATW news
http://www.atwonline.com/indexfull.cfm?newsid=3611


Boeing entered into negotiations to help Cathay Pacific Airways acquire 15 RB211-524-powered 747-400s from British Airways. Cathay would use the 747s for both passenger and freighter services. Under the agreement, BA will take up to 20 777-300ERs. It operates 777-200ERs powered by both GE90s and Trents while its earlier 777-200s are powered by GE engines. The deal appears similar to a transaction with BA's 757s that saw Boeing buy them back and convert them into freighters for DHL. Boeing also is proposing that it purchase BA's 767 fleet and convert the aircraft into tankers for the RAF. BA long has been considered a frontrunner for a 7E7 order.--GT
:) :) :)

[Schrodingers Cat]

Seems really strange that this item has produced so much comment in the Rumors and News forum, but so little here, where one would assume the people who are most affected are likely to be......perhaps the management mouthpiece M'sieur Shortly would care to comment? :cool:

[Techo Taxi Driver]

If this is happening, why is there no news on the CX website?:confused:

For anyone in the know, what is the breakdown of pax/freighter?

I would assume they would all have the RB211's not GE's?

Would have to mean more hireing wouldn't it?:D :D

[Schrodingers Cat]

I assure you that the lack of a reply on this subject by arch management apologist 'shortly' does not bode well for crew interests....perhaps a thought could be spared for the F/Es, shafted twice by CX, being shafted yet again on the altar of beancounting........:sad:

[fire wall]

Schrodinger ......... The FE's were shafted by CX but with the approval and support, tacit or otherwise, of your AOA.....the very one that you mouthpeice on this website. Take a look at your members list......not one FE is a member anymore where once there were numerous who served on the committee, further try counting the number of AOA members amongst the freighter fleet........ask yourself why sometime?
I shake my head in disgust at people like you.

[cpdude]

It's going to happen and you won't ever hear it first from Cathay. Why should they announce plans?

Angry Cat, this thread is about 15 x B744 aircraft. If you want to talk about F/E's and discuss thier hardship, start your own thread!:p

[shortly]

Call me an apologist if you will, nicer than some other things coming my way. CXs freight operation is booming - no great secret, CX needs to plan to replace the 747 Classic fleet in the next 3-10 years - no great secret. CX wants, and needs to increase the size of its freighter fleet - no great secret. What then is the issue here? None that I can see. It couldn't possibly be yet another good decision by 'tmanagement that can be villified by the pit bulls? Buy a pile of good cheap airframes that fit with the existing fleet mix, phase out the Classics as the 400s come on line a couple or one at a time and just keep on trucking. Go CX lets make more money. The future of the FEs is already determined by advances in aviation technology. Sad as it is they are going the way of navigators, radio operators and gun aimers. No one will be sadder than me to see them out of aviation, they have been, and are still, a great asset to the company and any crew they operate with. And of course socially, who is going to GUE - go ugly early? Who is going to advise the crew on the best places to hang after a flight? Who is going to save the crew from technical and operational booboos - not the darn computer replacing the FEs and thats for sure and certain. A dark day approaches and I will be there with bells on when we have the last bash with our pals the FEs.
Fire wall, you are absolutely correct in your analysis of the miserable way that the FEs were disposed of with tacit approval by the AOA, but my friend you touched a raw spot - mustn't criticise the Holy Grail of union ineptitude. I mean the nerve of you, fancy thinking that an Aircrew Officers Association would imagine that FEs are aircrew. Anyway most of them are too young to spell Flight Engineer let alone know what they do in flight even today and what they have done in the past for the AOA.

[Cpt. Underpants]

Shorts - to get this straight, the phasing out of the engineers preceded your arrival, AND the "remustering" opportunity was initiated by the AOA, not the company. That some chose not to go that route is their business, not yours nor the AOA's.

Your schmaltzy platitudes really are sickening. Speaking personally, I can't wait for the end of superfluous office staff. Perhaps an engineer might be appropriate for your job - at least he will know something about aviation.

[shortly]

Good old knickers, always ready for a quip full of brains and analysis. Actually, as usual, you are in error as to my starting date. And I don't think fire wall was talking about the re-training to pilot scheme and you very well know he wasn't. As to a ginger beer doing my job, perhaps one of those re-trained to pilot may when I call it quits. Good luck to them all.

[VR-HFX]

The BA 744's have too much additional value capitalised on the balance sheet to make the deal work.

Instead there will be a mix of 744's with Rollers (PAX fleet) and GE's (freighter conversions).

These with the DHL A300's and ongoing orders for twins will take the fleet to 110-120 wide bodies within a few years. All will be done on the current seniority list. If you add this growth to the rate of retirements you will see the average time to command reducing substantially over the next few years.

All this is very positive news that shows that, in despite of poor basic return on capital in aviation, management is committed to growing the business.

Expect a few new interesting European destinations coming on line soon as well as a big push for double dailies to Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.

All of this with Dragon's continued expansion of their network will see aviation opportunities in HK continue to grow strongly.

For the cynics out there, I hate to be the bearer of such good news but there you go!!

[Cpt. Underpants]

optimistic one...

I would LOVE to believe you. Why would (traditionally conservative) CX management toss aside the PROVEN wisdom of the years and embark on a completely uncharacteristic spending/expansion spree when it saved our bacon in 1997 and again in 2003? Clearly someone up there has a business brain (and it's not one of the legions of re-mustered pilots, for sure).

As I was once told (all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed) after salivating at the prospect of soon-to-arrive squadrons of SNJ's (Shiny New Jets)...

When they're

1. On the ramp.
2. Painted in our colours
3. With a B-*** rego, and...
4. Either you our someone next to you says "Gear Up" in one of the aforementioned SNJ's...

They're here.

Till then, I remain,

The Sceptic

[FlexibleResponse]

"All will be done on the current seniority list."

You're telling us that there is a seniority list, and they are going to actually going to use it!

Inveterate Cynic

[VR-HFX]

Sceptics & Cynics

Take this with a grain of salt but what seems to be happening is a return to the old tried and tested 707/Tri-Bomb biz model of getting some good cheap airframes that can make some serious dollars for another 10 years.

Clearly there is a lot afoot in the region with the plethora of low cost carriers springing up in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. To ignore this is to leave a big hole for someone to fill and certainly put further downward pressure on conditions for all.

I was talking about the seniority list not the dog's breakfast of scales, but take your point. Also agree with the comment on re-mustered pilots putting together powerpoint presentations...

[Obbie]

You guys never seem happy over there, some times I think I should just remove my application from consideration.