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Turbo Rick
23rd Dec 2003, 03:30
Below is a notice issued to staff, talk about a kick in the teeth, and at Christmas time and all... :{

As Emerald has grown into the largest European aircraft owner/operator of medium sized dedicated freight turbo-prop aircraft based on the superb record of all its employees in meeting and often going beyond the expectations of our customers it was inevitable that our business would increase with the largest user of dedicated freighters within the UK - the Post Office.

This was always a double-edged sword for any company to have too grat a reliance on one customer as many businesses have found to their cost. The potential risk is that that customer could go out of business, leaving unpaid depts or undertakes a corporate review and takes a change of direction.

We have enjoyed a very good business realtionship with the Post Office ovr the years and latterly some 30% of our revenues were derived from it. Whilst this percentage is large it is entirely proportionate to the make up of the market. As advised in an earlier Notice To Staff we bid for the new 'all weather containerised jet network' that the Post Office identified as their preferred way forward but despite considerable effort we were unsuccessful.

The change in direction by the Post Office had been mooted for some time but the final decision has only been recently announced with the introduction of the new network now sheduled for early in the New Year. Rather than being phased in as originally indicated wholesale change is now scheduled for mid-January.

our challenge is now to manage the change.

Over the years we have had to deal with a dynamic business, which has been achieved very successfully. There is no room however for complacency and we must be realistic in our expectations for finding additional work for both the BAe748 and SD360 aircraft which will no longer be required by the Post Office. A number of commercial opportunities are being worked on but they are unlikely to match up with the Post Office end dates.

We are also now using this opportunity to broaden our range of capabilities through the addition of the BAe ATP as out third major aircraft typ. This will demand new skills.

The first of this new type have been purchased and are expected to enter service as passenger aircraft during February 2004.

Two further aircraft are expected to be acquired and enter service as freighters towards the middle of next year.

It is with regret however that I must advise all that there is a risk of redundancy for some of our staff affected by the changes.

Every effort is being givn to keeping this to the absolute minimum and we will endeavour to look after as many as possible of thos affected either through re-training or offering alternative posts as appropriate. Those affected will be contacted within the next few weeks.

Maybe with the number of people leaving it will pass quietly, hopefully, but my question is this... BAC issued redundancy notices to its staff 2 months ago, but Emerald leave it o the last minute, maybe hoping Channex would fall over and the PO would come rushing back with its tail between its legs asking for forgiveness, not gonna happen, not now, not ever.

So the company pulls in type rated ATP drivers through the front door and kicks out loyal 748 guys out th back door... charming, but then, it is Emerald. :mad:

BoeingMEL
23rd Dec 2003, 04:21
Rick...These are the hard facts of commercial life... there is never a perfect or ideal time to announcepossible future redundancies. Why the comparison with BAC... ? Very sad and regrettable but that's airline life..always has been ..always will be. Merry Christmas to all, bm

Turbo Rick
23rd Dec 2003, 05:26
BoeingMEL, maybe to you it is "the hard facts of commercial life", but it need not be that way.

And please do not pontificate on things you clearly have no idea about, if you did you would understand the comparison with BAC Express.

Air Mail
23rd Dec 2003, 16:46
And to cap it all, Channex/Titan are applying to the CAA to get foreign carriers in to start off some of the new routes - Tu204's and Hercules!!

STANDTO
23rd Dec 2003, 17:38
there was a rumour of Emerald going back into pax flights, with BACE pulling out of the Liverpool/IOM route. It may be though, because EuroManx have stolen the march, they won't be bothering

CR2
23rd Dec 2003, 18:06
Spelling is a shambles too.

dwlpl
23rd Dec 2003, 18:44
there was a rumour of Emerald going back into pax flights, with BACE pulling out of the Liverpool/IOM route. It may be though, because EuroManx have stolen the march, they won't be bothering
First ATP arrived last Sunday (see http://bplspotters.freeservers.com/ATPs.htm ),

Two are said to be arriving soon.

jafo33
23rd Dec 2003, 19:41
Given the lack of information at Emerald and the habit of doing everything at the last minute, redundancies might be happening.

Most of the crews have said they do not want to go onto the new ATP fleet (although what they bid for when the form arrived might be different).

So there would have to be redundancies if the number of 748's are reduced and their crews are not interested in the new ATP fleet.

Or is this press release Emerald's way of making sure they all 'volunteer' for the new fleet? Just scare tactics?

Talking Checklist
27th Dec 2003, 21:35
Its probably true to say that most (not all) of the great bunch of pilots that work for Emerald are dreaming of a break into a decent Airline,having given their best helping out with constant roster changes,long positioning trips in hire cars and poor working conditions in poorly lit, cold aeroplanes. They are all looking for that big break - either moving on to something better elsewhere or getting a well deserved command after a long wait. In order to do this they work hard and keep their faces clean with the company, often bending over backwards to help the company out when needed. The company takes this for granted - its the Emerald way and always has been. It will never change and sadly they do not care about the people who give their best to make the company as profitable as it is.

Thats the reason why nobody really wants to sign up for the ATP - They will be bonded, probably on unfair terms ( as thats the Emerald way and they know they can get away with it). Most people have built up a good level of experience and wish to move on to better things when the chance presents itself so why on earth should they sell their soles to an ungrateful employer for another 2 to 3 years when by rights they should be allowed to transfer to the ATP with little or no financial restraints.

The pilots at Emerald do deserve better treatment and most feel that the threat of redundancies is just a clever way of getting people bonded.

At the end of the day Airlines are commercial businesses and must make profit to stay alive for everybodies benefit. However these guys deserve better treatment - if they have to be bonded the bond should be clear and explicit with a detailed enough breakdown of the costs so that everyone can make their minds up to see if they are being shafted!

Experience on an ATP can only look better on a CV than a 748 so thats one good factor if you are forced to sign up and keep your job!

However Mr Janes it really is shamefull to treat the guys that make your company what it is in this manner

Loyalty and hard work at Emerald counts for nothing - a real shame. Just think what the company could achieve on what it already has if people were valued!!!!:ok:

dada
28th Dec 2003, 18:29
talking checklist...........

your last para is the bullseye where this lot are concerened.
you seem to mirror (in more elequent terms) how i sum this lot up
"a right shower of s**t"
this company will fall hard as soon as the economic climate picks up - they are fortunate that since they started operating they have alsways done so in a climate that enabled them to use
people - their time will come.

Captain I. Jones
28th Dec 2003, 23:05
Turbo Rick, where did you get this notice from?

It's the sort of notification that should be made formally to each member of staff either by phone, letter or staff meeting and surly not via a rumour or a copy slapped up on a pilots notice board some where, this is important and highly pertinent information for every one concerned.

Any one from the sharp end :p in Emerald reading this, and if the notice is actually out there, get your bloody act together and send us a letter, knowing I need to look for a new job quick smart is a hell of a lot more useful that a ten quid sainbury's voucher. No one I've spoken to so far has any knowledge of this notice.

redsnail
28th Dec 2003, 23:16
I've seen it on the Coventry crew room's notice board. The 748 fellows said it had been around in the Liverpool office for a bit too.
Didn't get the ten quid voucher this year, the bonus in the salary was a fair bit more.
As far as I can tell, no one's really sure how it will affect the 748 crew versus the Shed crew. I dare say once the chaps in LPL have worked that out we'll hear something.

Captain I. Jones
28th Dec 2003, 23:23
I'll send you mine!:ok:

redsnail
29th Dec 2003, 00:11
IJ,
You might need it!!
uncle dickie,
I know a fair few Shed guys are but unsure about the state of play regarding the 748 fleet.

hushkit77
29th Dec 2003, 04:04
As per usual the 'Notice to Staff' never actually got sent to Belfast either!!!. I have never seen a specific copy of any notice actually make it to BFS. We are just lucky so many LPL guys pass through and normally leave a photocopy.

Shed mail route in BFS definately finishes 2nd week in January and we have yet to be informed by anyone at Jem officially!!..... same goes for the 748 mail routes I'm sure. Servisair already have the new Channex jet timetable for the replacemant flights.

Any info would be a bonus!

Mushrooms again !!

FatFlyer
1st Jan 2004, 15:52
With BAC redundancies and possible Emerald ones, it must rub salt into the wounds if Channex and Zap are wet leasing russian a/c to do the post office work.
if I remember back to "cabotage" rules under international air law, for an internal route in the UK, would they not have to show that a UK carrier is unable to do the work (which RPX and JEM can) before being allowed to wet lease these in?

STANDTO
10th Jan 2004, 23:54
http://www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=720651

Fly_146
11th Jan 2004, 01:05
Fatflyer

Emerald, BAC et al cannot object because their aircraft cannot fulfil the new contracts - 7.5 tonnes or a lot more and CONTAINERIZED. If they had a B737F or similar then they could!

They are "chartering" the foreign aircraft - its not really a full wet lease.

dwlpl
11th Jan 2004, 01:31
When the 'new' operation comes into effect on Monday 12th January the Roayl Mail has 3*F27's, 1*748 and 1*737 operating through Liverpool.

Cyrano
12th Jan 2004, 18:01
I understand Emerald has signed up for a low-cost passenger reservations system which would imply that they have the intention of going into pax operations.

Mark Lewis
12th Jan 2004, 18:40
Yeees:

http://www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=720651