CityFlyer Pilots and RJ's off to MANCHESTER!

[BavarianBoy]

Heard rumour today that BA are considering moving the RJ's to Manchester along with CFE crews instead of the integration into EOG. Anyone know if it is just another wild rumour or has it any truth at all?? Not trying to wind anyone up, just interested if it could be true!
Regards BB

[Hot Wings]

BB - I suspect that it is just a wind up. Although anything is possible at BA, with a new 5 year plan every week! I think that a BRAL invasion and take-over of the BA routes and bases at Manchester and Birmingham is far more likely.

Regards,

Hot Wings

[BavarianBoy]

Thanks Hot Wings, thought it a bit wild to be true, but as you say, with BA anything could happen. I guess all at LGW will be pleased, much nicer weather down Brighton way.
Regards BB

[beaver eager]

Quite unlikely methinks, as all our (CFE's) integration plans are going well at present. Mind you, none of us have actually seen a BA contract yet.

I think they would have trouble transferring a whole company the size of CFE to a different location 200 miles away.

Even though our contracts of employment say that we can be based anywhere at the company's behest, in fact you can still claim a "place of work redundancy" and ask to be paid off. Whilst this is not a problem in individual cases, (and with a company like BA, people choosing not to re-locate is probably rare due to the opportunities to move back in the future), there would probably be considerable numbers at CFE who just wouldn't go. That could begin to become expensive in pay-offs, or at least a litigation/tribunal nightmare, as BA would no doubt invoke the clause in the contracts to put pressure on us.

They could of course just be wanting to make us all leave as a back door way of getting rid of us. But why shut down a company you've just bought for 75 million which made 12 million profit last year?

I go for the BA CitiExpress theory, myself. An enforceable scope clause with BALPA, with a cut off at 70 seats and some of the mainline/regional/EoG work going off to BA CityExpress under pressure from management to make some cost savings and BALPA giving in to it to ease the passage of our HUGE pay claim in December.

But then what do I know?

[judge11]

Manch is the hub of the BACE world and the appearance of you boys from the south would not only greatly upset many of us resident BRAL and Brymates but also really piss of the BAR boys and girls here for whom the future is not rosy (or Orange).

The rumour at this end is that you are getting the released BAR 737s and we are getting your RJs. But remember...

DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING UNTIL IT HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY DENIED.

[JetFixer]

One of the BA Engineers (Ex BRAL) came into the BRAL line office at MAN for a social visit about 3 weeks ago. Said that the BA engineers had been asked by Management if they had any BAe146/RJ experience. We thought that Chippy might start doing the LGW shuttle.

[martini lemon]

A certain BA engineer wouldn't happen to be of the "glum" sort I'm sure. Word is that the 146's wet leased to BM will return later this year and that BA engineers have been asked to familiarise themselves with the BACE 146.
:) :) :)

[akerosid]

So, for routes such as Jersey and Dublin, assuming this plan went ahead, we'd be seeing A319s or 737s?

Oh please, say it's true - no more warmed over 146s!

[White Knight]

I imagine that the Avro RJ will be picking up the LGW-MAN route (based at LGW).
Hopefully the 737 will take the LGW-DUB and LGW-AMS because I am sick of those places!!!

Tell me akerosid; what is a "warmed up 146"?, I guess you mean an RJ. I wonder what your problem is , after all, block times on these short routes are the same for 146/737/318...

[mainfrog2]

I can't see them using a bigger aircraft on the Jersey route other than so the pax can have more o/head locker space. There's usually a few seats spare when we take off and quite often you can have only 70 or so pax it's just such a b****y short flight time. Dublin and Amsteerdam would be nicer on the 737 and would probably be better competition with other airlines going to those destinations.

[Harry Wragg]

It's a sad day for aviation when people admit to wanting to fly on a TRABANT. I would much rather have the RJ100, its a much nicer aircraft and more suited for trips to Jersey and Amsterdam.

I thought the whole object of the reorganisation was to allow for flexibility within the route structure. So, anything is possible.

Harry

p.s. try an Airbus in a x-wind and let me know how you like the RJ.
:eek:

[akerosid]

According to Airways News Online, "almost half" (i.e. 4?) of the MAN based 735s are being transferred to LGW.

[Notsoginger]

:p :eek:
Well martini lemon and jet fixer you really have let the cat out of the bag.

The GLUMS were trying to keep that a secret!

I bet we will see a combined engineering dept before the winters out. ie BACE and BA

[Olmy]

Well duhhh, Just in case you missed it, BA don't have any TRABANTS anymore. All but two have gone to sunnier climes (some written off since then too!) and the two remain because their customer may (just rumours) have gone bust...

Hmmm, I'm sure they'll be mixing up the 737's, and the RJ's as they need them...

[alosaurus]

BRAL have huge amounts of cabin crew courses which have just been announced for the 146,far more than would be required to cover the return of our two leased out aircraft.I also heard that Man BAR cabin crew on temporary contracts have been given a termination letter.Is this true,I really hope not.

[Harry Wragg]

I only know one temp cabin crew at BAR and "yes" they have been given a p45 in the last month. Read into it what you will.

One thing is for sure the deal isn't reciprocated as BA are unable to utilise CitiExpress crews to operate EOG flights, the net result is cancellations out of LGW.

Harry