It'll take some time for the dust to settle to see what this means for the pilots involved:
ExpressJet Airlines Announces Contract Realignment and Long-Term Plan
ALPA statement:
9 August 2017
The Summer of 2017 has clearly been a difficult summer for the pilots of ExpressJet Airlines. Each passing week produced a new rumor that sounded more believable than the week before. To begin this update, we, the respective Master Executive Council (MEC) Chairmen of the ASA and XJT MECs, would like to thank each and every pilot at ExpressJet Airlines for your patience and resolve during this high stress summer.
This evening the Company announced changes to ExpressJet’s strategic plan that include a new Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with United Airlines (UAL), an expanded partnership with American Airlines (AA) and a complete drawdown of the CPA with Delta Air Lines. This announcement is certain to give rise to many questions and concerns amongst our pilot groups. Over the next several weeks we will answer those questions and keep the pilot groups informed of our progress toward protecting the careers of all ExpressJet pilots.
An overview of today’s announcement is below. In addition, a question and answer document is attached to this email.
ExpressJet has signed a new, profitable 5-year CPA with UAL to fly at least 126 aircraft
ExpressJet will place eight additional CRJ700 aircraft on the current AA CPA
The Delta CPA will end in November of 2018. Eight CRJ700s will be placed on the AA CPA (see above). The Company expects the remaining 22 CRJ700 aircraft will be flown under a future UAL CPA.
The ASA and XJT MECs have agreed on an integrated seniority list that will protect the interests of all ExpressJet pilots while complying with ALPA policy
To further explain the details of today’s announcement and to answer your questions, the Company and both MECs will jointly host an all-pilot conference call tomorrow, Thursday, August 10 at 1800 p.m. Eastern. Your elected representatives will also be available in crewrooms beginning next week to discuss this announcement in person. Look for details about the conference call and crewroom visit schedules to be communicated soon.
In the short term, this turn of events is clearly not the best-case scenario that any of us had hoped for. The ASA and XJT MECs, however, are committed to working together to best protect our pilot’s careers as the company works to implement changes to ExpressJet’s strategic plan.
History will show this as a tale of two pilot groups; two pilot groups teetering on the brink of destruction. These two pilot groups, one of which is about to lose the majority of its flying, and the other without the ability to either attract or retain pilots, are both operated by a company that couldn’t make future plans because of the instability of the pilot labor supply.
Our two pilot groups have now become life boats for each other. Lashed together, we will be a pilot force 2600 strong operated by a company that now has the ability to look into the future to gain more flying for all of us.
Make no mistake, your two MECs have worked diligently as a team to pull this together. Just as ExpressJet has taken advantage of opportunities as they have presented themselves, your two MECs will take what has been accomplished over the past several weeks to ensure the security and stability of our jobs.
This has been a long process; it has been just over seven years since the merger was announced. Soon, we will be one pilot group. These next few months will not pass without questions and concerns. The two MECs are committed to answering each question and concern. Now is the time to start the process of healing between our two pilot groups. What has happened in the past needs to remain in the past. Please be respectful of all of our pilots, whether in the airport, in a hotel shuttle, or at the supermarket. It is time to move forward as one successful and unified pilot group.