FedEx B757s

[hotelmodemetar]

I have heard a rumour saying that FedEx will operate a B757 to fly the CDG-FCO route soon next winter, starting around December 08. Is that true? Are the B757s planned to fly in europe eventually?

What is the point to replace an ATR42 (generally full at 60%) by a B757? :confused:

[layinlow]

That is what it is, a rumor. Fed Ex has 2 757's and are expecting to get 80 more in the future. If there are plans for Europe, they haven't been announced. Besides, what would it matter anyway, they still use contractors.

[BrowntailWhale]

FedEx will eventually color the skies of Europe purple as will UPS color the skies of Europe Brown once the final stage of open skies is implemented. Oh, both companies planes will be crewed by US pilots and no, Europeans will not be allowed to fly FedEx and/or UPS routes in the US as both companies union contracts prohibit it.

[Greystanes]

Seem to remember them trying that before; painting their books red before pushing back the jetways and escaping.

[Castaway2008]

Layinlow,I'm sure FedEx has aqquired more than 2 757's to date check out tail reg starting from N901FD upwards,we've had at least 3 through EINN in the past 6 months.
Federal Express Fleet of B757 (Active) - Airfleets (http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Federal%20Express-active-b757.htm)
Hotlemodemetar in regard to replacing CDG-FCO with a 757 on a route that has a ATR 42,FedEx has tradionally being poor with shipments of pallet size so this will help open up the market more to compete with TNT,UPS & DHL in express pallets,also ULD's can be staged for by passing the sort in CDG depending on the destination which helps reduce manpower & hub sort times,so I wouldn't be surprised to see 1 heading to FCO via another IT ramp soon.
Browntailwhale although I'm not going to get into the crew issue(not a pilot so l can't comment)I think you are spot on & we will see all FedEx/ UPS tails sporting the N reg soon on intra Europe destinations.
Greystanes Europe is good for FedEx now so hopefully we won't have to revert to 1992 & pull the plug again.
Guess the name gives away my roots which is why I chose to comment:)

[hotelmodemetar]

Somebody in FedEx told me 2 or 3 months ago that there were already more than 85 FedEx pilots fully trained and ready to fly the B757s, and those guys were supposed to move to CDG, but then the company changed plans for some reasons...
:suspect:

[fob727]

FedEx will eventually color the skies of Europe purple as will UPS color the skies of Europe Brown once the final stage of open skies is implemented. Oh, both companies planes will be crewed by US pilots and no, Europeans will not be allowed to fly FedEx and/or UPS routes in the US as both companies union contracts prohibit it.

Rock solid, right!:=

[GAZIN]

You don't have to be a pilot to be dismayed at the way the whole 'open skies' deal appears to be loaded in favour of the US carriers. If Europe & the rest of the world are prevented from operating domestic US routes or of having majority ownership of US carriers, how can the word OPEN be used to describe this agreement? :ugh:

[Rock_On]

The day US carriers are permitted to operate within European countries (and for the nth time Europe is not a country) meaning cabotage, which means intra Germany, intra France, intra UK and so on, will be the day European carriers will be authorized to operate within the US. You guys just love comparing apples to oranges. Again I don't really see the fascination of wanting to operate within the US for a European carrier anyway since no US pax carrier seems to be making money right now.

[underread east]

Who's talking about passengers here???? Althought the same argument does apply. If the US carriers can't make a profit, it doesn't mean that there isn't one to be made by efficient operators.

As has been said before - the single economic area of Europe merits equal comparison with the single economic area of the United States. Indeed many negotiations regarding freedom to trade are conducted on a European/US level. Not apples and oranges in my view.

[Rock_On]

Personally I am for cabotage so I am not sure what category that puts me in. I have no problem with European carriers flying intra-US with European crews as long as US carriers can do the same between and within European countries. I also have no problem with foreign ownership, but then again I don't make the rules and nobody really cares what I think. The EU could join the US and make one country for what I care. Common certification and operation standards as well as ATC procedures would also be great.

[FougaMagister]

Agreed. But to be honest, the US DoT has a vested interest in dealing with each European country separately, as it allows it to use its considerable negotiating weight more efficiently than if faced with the EU as a whole. Then again, that's largely due to each EU member-State not surrendering their negotiating powers to the European Commission.

Good point on ATC and certification issues. I would go further: I would like to see the day when there are no more JAA, FAA, Transport Canada, CASA etc. licences but only ICAO flight crew licences. After all, aircraft don't fly any differently depending on which hemisphere they happen to be in! But somehow I don't think that will happen in my lifetime... :{

Cheers

[layinlow]

Castaway, aquiring aircraft doesn't mean they are operating on revenue flights yet. They still need conversions.

[Castaway2008]

Agreed layinlow,just pointing out that FedEx are serious about the 757's & I expect them to be in use in Europe sooner rather than later,even with the present climate in regard to oil prices etc,FedEx is committed to pushing ahead with it's use of the 757 for revenue flights in place of the traditional Feeders like the ATP,ATR 42/72.

[layinlow]

They just announced new routes from Budapest and a few other cities using the A-310 and the thrid 757 will start revenue flights in October. FEd Ex made no secrets that they were opening a Paris base for crews. What you say is probably true, but a little too soon.

[mmeteesside]

Budapest-Vienna-Paris and Barcelona-Paris appears to be the new A310 routes. I guess that replaces the ATR42, ATP and ATR72 on those two respectively?

[Pagan_angel]

Have these new flights from BUD/VIE and BCN started yet? :)

Or are the ATRs still flying?

[FougaMagister]

The A310s will take over the BUD, VIE and BCN routes from the start of the winter season, i.e. late October. A CDG base for US FedEx crews? They might appreciate the quality of life, but they will find the tax level quite shocking!

Cheers

[layinlow]

Taxes won't be a problem. Fly out of Paris, live in Zurich, at least that was the plan

[hotelmodemetar]

I think they'll probably be more shocked at the cost of living in Europe when compared to the States....

especially those days when you get paid in dollars and you live in the euro zone :E
(today 1€ = 1.42$ :p :p)

[layinlow]

When I was in Japan we had a salary protection clause that protected us from monetary fluctuations. Worked great. I am sure that that is the same case here. As to the cost of living. Yeah, socialist economies are higher, but then the crews won't pay taxes in the U.S.. The problem I would expect, will be the same as when I worked for LH. The lower standard of living took a bit to get used to.