I've heard estimates of over 1000 UAL pilot furloughs later in the year with the route and aircraft cuts. The price of oil is still rising so this may be a little optimistic.
There will be furloughs at United and Continental for sure. Simple math equation Pilots = Airplanes. Some of the furloughed pilots may be given preferential employment at their regional allies. Delta and NWA seem to be okay for now, that's until the merger takes place.
Last edited by flightknight : 22nd June 2008 at 07:37. Reason: o
ALPA has sent emails to pilots in United, American and Continental from the bottom-up, regarding possible furloughs. If you have friends over there you can verify this information., This seems like the beginning of the end for many airline companies. The PILOT shortage will probably turn into a pilot glut, considering the fewer retirements that will accompany this dire situation. Just a reality check !!!!!!
Last edited by flightknight : 22nd June 2008 at 07:34.
No pilots at Continental have recieved an email from ALPA national regarding furloughs. Additionally, the LOA regarding early outs/COLAs hasn't even been finished yet so there are no hard numbers of furloughs. I have friends at United and Northwest and they have not recieved furlough letters either (and they are only 100 or less off the bottom).
Which one of those says that a even a single furlough notice has gone out? Continental, United, and Northwest have not sent out WARN letters yet. You are posting conjecture and hearsay. There may be furloughs coming but none of us at the aforementioned companies have recieved official notice from ALPA or our company.
Last edited by AirMicronesia : 22nd June 2008 at 04:24. Reason: typo
This is Keith Rimer, system chief pilot, with a message for United pilots on Monday, June 23. We announced on June 4 that we would be removing a total of 100 aircraft from our mainline fleet in response to record high oil prices and a softening economy. These reductions will begin in September, continue through the end of 2008 and well into 2009. If you follow the industry, you know that other airlines are taking similar actions. At last count, U.S. network carriers had announced plans to remove nearly 300 mainline aircraft from their fleets by the end of 2009, in order to reduce industry capacity. Reducing our schedule to get back on the path to profitability in light of dramatically higher fuel costs inevitably involves reducing the number of people we have to run the operation. Reductions in salaried and management staffs have already begun in a number of areas. In flight operations, layoffs of salaried and management employees are expected to begin in mid-July. In total, the number of salaried and management positions at United will be reduced by 1400-1600 people. With regard to reductions in pilot manpower, our scheduling group is finalizing details of the initial round of reductions for the fall, beginning in September. As a result, we will begin the related process of distributing furlough notices. The first notices will go out in mid-July to furlough approximately 100 pilots for the September flying month. The furlough process will be facilitated through our domiciles and follow contractual procedures. Overall, our fleet reduction plans include our entire fleet of 94 B737 aircraft as well as six B747s. This will take time to accomplish – well into 2009 before it is complete. We expect that, as we reduce our fleet by these 100 aircraft, we will furlough approximately 950 active pilots by the end of 2009. Due to the number of pilots on military and personal leaves, we currently anticipate that approximately 1450 furlough notices will be distributed over time in order to reduce our active pilot ranks by 950. We have had ongoing discussions with ALPA concerning ways to mitigate the number of involuntary furloughs. The outcome of these discussions could reduce the number of involuntary furloughs. As always, we will keep you informed as decisions are made that could affect you. We hope to have more detail on the furlough mitigation actions to share with you as soon as they are finalized with ALPA. Details on the first furloughs for the September flying month will be available in a few weeks. At the appropriate time, your domicile will work with you during this process. Furloughs are an unfortunate and difficult reality of the airline industry. It's common to find long-tenured pilots who have been affected by furloughs in their careers. We plan to the best extent possible not to be in a situation that requires pilots to be furloughed. However, circumstances unforeseen just several months ago in the case of unprecedented fuel prices are now causing us to adjust our flying and related manpower. As we move forward through this process, we will treat everyone in a respectful manner, understanding the personal impacts that these actions can have. Clearly, this is a difficult time for us to operate through. However, safety, of course, must remain first and foremost when we fly. While business decisions are being made in response to the circumstances we are faced with as a company, I know that, as pilots, you recognize the importance of a single focus in the cockpit. Thank you.
We have to consider the realities facing the professional pilot. Most of the folks i know have an aviation degree and do not have any skills in the public sector. It is devestating for a career aviator to lose his/her aviation job, even temporarily. Having spent decades in the non-aviation sector, i must say that the current job market is bleak and extremely competitive even for those who have vast experience in the public sector. Remember : if you're not in the cockpit, you're just a regular joe in the job market.
Based on economic factors (plus huge costs for heavy maintenance checks) it is probably going to happen at several US majors, the question is how much and when. Numerous small low cost airlines have already stopped operations and many more have swords hanging over their heads. When an airline raises ticket prices too much, they then lower prices, depending on lost market share and the lack of "followers" among the competition.
Even Fedex has brought up the possibility of their first-ever pilot furloughs if not enough early retirements take place. This was a shock! A Fedex (MD-10/11) guy there told me that no more hiring is planned until about 2010. Several weeks ago they had cancelled plans for bases in Paris and maybe Hong Kong also.
And they have quite a number of older pilots who went to the 727 FE seats, and now can go back to their widebody pilot seats following the end of the "age 60 rule". I have a really bad feeling about this industry, having been here for many years, and it might get worse than it was after 9/11. If some passengers can not afford the present ticket prices, wait until they go up even more. The other problems here (and elsewhere) are not only how fuel increases damage the trucking and other transportation industries, but the US mortgage ( widespread banking foreclosures on home loans) mess for huge numbers of people. Other industries (i.e. automotive) have just begun to lay off.
Last edited by Ignition Override : 14th July 2008 at 07:23.
When I posted an observation on July 11th, I was off by quite a huge margin on the future of the airline industry. My information was also summarized as heresay. Well, I guess was wrong by speculating that NWA folks will get the short end of the stick "after" the merger.
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