G-I-B
The 767 rotates back to LHR every few (six?) weeks for hangar maintenance. All other (line) maintenance is done at MAN.

Brainfade

If that is idle speculation on your part please say so, if you have facts to back that statement up, again please say so.

Just to be sure,

You are saying that ALL ground staff in the regions will be non BA.

You are including
Check-in
Engineering
Operations
Dispatchers
Aircraft Services (That’s tug drivers and waste servicing to you and I).
Local Marketing and Sales
And of course All local Administration.

If I have missed anyone out I apologies.

Brainfade, your statement, if true means that there will be a hell of a lot of redundancies very soon.

That is not funny at any time but on the run up to Christmas!!!!

Please post on here responsibly, there are some who will act (rashly) on statements such as yours. This is not a game, peoples lives are at stake here.:(

Could be.
Flybe use handling agents at all airports, even our main bases.
We do have some ticket desk staff at the big hubs, in house engineering at bases, and the odd base supervisor. Cant see this changing as thats the point of the LOWCOST model so when the takeover of bacon is complete the rest of the above may not have a place in the new structure as at most of the non london airports there will be no other BA presence.
However the bacon fleet could well be around till 2009 and will need support so the ground staff may be around till then (maybe).


http://www.nextgenerationairline.co.uk

TURIN
Ask your boss for an assurance of continued emplyment if you like. What I say is what will come to pass- according to me!:}

I CAN assure you that BA will not be handling when the BACON a/c are working for Flybe.
And I can assure you that the remaining BA handling is going out to tender- so it's going too. Yes, everybody! and Yes, Mucho redundancies.

But. Please DO NOT act solely on stuff you read on pprune. There is a warning at the bottom of the page.

Just a heads up, please check tho, as you're plainly concerned, as I would be (am actually).

Let us know what they tell you, eh?

Guys and Girls,

Following on from the "whats happening to the ground based operations" conversation, the BHX BA customer facing staff almost rioted today and the (fairly strong) belief is they are going to walk out if they aren't told something in the next couple of days. They have been told even less than aircrew.

Can't blame them myself; would make it a pretty long day for us behind our FD door though!

BS

PS: DE IS A C**T

Yes, BA will contract out all ground handling services in the regions. Engineering is slightly different as BA do contract this service out at various regional stations, and as I understand, it makes lots of money... Check-in, Loading, ticket desk and baggage tracing office will go at all regional airports as handling agents can do this part of the work cheaper.

The decision to sell Connect to flybe directly affects me as a BA Mainline employee. It is true that nothing has been said officially - but - look at what we do know, and look at the way the company has been outsourcing around Europe and the world, and in particular look at how 'efficient' Newcastle is - so we are told...

I agree that the BHX (and EDI GLA ABZ and MAN) staff 'may' stage some sort of action in protest to the monumental 'foul-up' BA have caused, and continue to drag-out. BA are not stupid. Far from it. Can you imagine the chaos that will ensue if all regional staff (over the next few weeks) are told they are out of a job in MAR Staff will leave, call in sick or turn up at will for their shifts - rightly or wrongly...

There is a staff forum in GLA tonight, and EDI tomorrow. Further forums for the other stations will be held over the next week or so. Dont expect any further info from the London Management - as per above, we will all be told when it suits BA - at the last minute :ugh:

DE is a Coot.
 

BugSpeed. DE is a coot! Is he bald or something? Must be wearing a wig (or wiglette) in the photos.

But seriously, the ground staff are furious; and quite rightly so. Expect very major disruption very soon. Captains: Discretion Report Forms at the ready.

I seem to remember when Manx acquired Loganair in '94 we were treated to an evening at the MAN PostHouse Hotel where Uncle Norman gave a very grand speech and we all knew what was, for better or for worse, happening.

I beleive Servisair-Globeground is the preferred ground-handler of BA. The entire ground handling contract for 'domestic' affairs has been put out to tender in the past week or so too. It has been said that BA regularly 'test' the water for ground handling but at a time when Connect has just been sold, plunging the ground-based regional staff into turmoil, it does make one wonder. BAH HUMBUG:(

brain fade, tristar 500,

Just wondering where you got the information regarding the flybe/loganair franchise deal which you suggest may be announced shortly?

Loganair have just sent letters to all it's employees satisfactorily announcing that year end Mar 2006 was their best year financially yet and quote "In an ever changing aviation scene - as witnessed by the recent announcement of the sale of BA connect to flybe - a strong Balance Sheet gives us more confidence for the future - whether it be to facilitate fleet expansion when we identify new commercial opportunities.........". This letter comes with notification of a generous bonus to thank all employees for their hard work. This doesn't sound like an airline about to lose its present franchise status in the short term (the BA franchise renewal isn't up till Mar 2008).

Even then, what does WW have to gain by removing Loganair as a franchise?? Loganair could still feed the EDI/GLA/ABZ - London flights with transit pax and pay BA for the privilage. Loganair will use a third party for handling at these airports and all BA have to do is collect some cash for doing nothing!!

Who knows what the future holds at Yogi bear but I would've thought that flybe will have enough going on with BAcon to bother about them for the moment.

It would be very nice to hear at least something from the powers that be soon. I'd love to be able to actually sleep at nights again, because I'm a bit fed up of staring up at the ceiling all night as at present, and if this carries on, I might not be fit to fly soon, oh dear.....

So what is happening with BAR, the new ground handling company formed from the ashes of BAR the former airline. BA own the share capital in theis company and until recently, it was trading at a modest profit providing services to BAcon. Current MD and Finance Director of Bacon are the directors of BAR. Will it also just be allowed to fail, or will it be encouraged to grow?

AFO,

Unfortunately they haven't told the FlyBe lot anything either - my guess though is there is a Dash/400 left seat with your name on it somewhere (if you want it)- can't say about the 195 though.

The latest on the pay offer was very favourable for the Dash (average for the 146/195:{ ). It puts the starting salary for a Q400 capt. at 50K in 2007 and 53.5K in 2008 + increments per year but they have not included lifestyle issues in this one so not sure how the vote will go, should get an answer by end of the month.

We haven't been told anything about the 2 seniority lists. I guess they are busy with other things at the moment.

Hang on in there buddy, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

PJ

It doesn't matter what you pay a prop captain, people will still leave. Pilots want to fly a jet, simple as that.

All that flybe are doing are advertising the fact they DON'T have a clue what they are doing. If they did they wouldn't try to hold Pilots with offers of 50K and non reducing bonds. Simply put if they were a good company pilots would never leave. In the last 12 months they have had to recruit over 130 pilots. With a total of 330 that is shocking. Allow an extra 30 for expansion makes it embarisingly shocking. 50 grand for an Airline captain is shocking as well. I can get a job at Lever Brothers on a Continental shift (4 on 4 off) and get paid 52 grand!! Wake up boys and smell the coffee.

HB,

actually a lot of pilots are v happy flying the Q400; I am one of them.
Most LH seaters are in flybe to fly from the regions, most like the Q400.
The £53,000 was actually very welcome news; the pay offer is separate from T&Cs; J. French is increasing the pilot numbers by 5% per aircraft (irrespective of whether the BACON deal goes through) to alleviate roster instability issues. There is to be a separate ballot re the T&Cs later.

So, the recruitment for the additional 5% of pilots will go ahead and pilots are very happy with a 19% pay offer. We don't all want to go to LGW to fly jets.

FB

And the same goes for the majority of Bacon pilots. Most of the Big jet wannabee people have already gone. Many of the remainder will not be too concerned about the type, but would not be impressed by the current pay gap between TP and Jet/ nearly jet. Sort out the pay and most would be content with the prop. The 195 would obviously be of interest, but most would look at base and type of work done by a fleet before they worried about how pointy it was. Most 145 and 146 people would not mind a move to propland if the pay was the same.
Don't overestimate the rush to get on the new jet.

I heard today that the BACON boys will be going to the bottom of the seniority list.:ugh:

If true, it should come as absolutely no surprise at all. I still can't believe that the BACON folk think they have any bargaining power at all... I'm afraid your bosses gave that away when they agreed to this deal.

AO,

you must be receiving your news re seniority from a different source to Flybe pilots - we've heard nothing re the lists - I don't think the CC's have met yet.

FB

This is FACT :

The deal isn't even done yet, so anything you 'know' or have 'been assured' is definitely speculation and quite possibly rubbish.

Nothing has been decided about anything, be it t's and c's, seniority, anything you want to name.

The two Ccs will meet for the first time officially tomorrow.

It's a take-over, not a merger, and TUPE rules may not apply.

In the cut-throat, increasingly 'green', low-margins regional loco world NOTHING beats the Q400 comercially. (there may even be a 100 seat version in the offing) If your too proud for props, tough!

:rolleyes:

You don't have to go to LHR or LGW to fly something that pays you the going rate. Plenty of operators paying proper money in the regions. The latest from Exeter is that the 195 salary will be less than the prop and the disturbing thought is that you guys will let it happen. Flybe is doing what Ryanair has already done. Rattle the industry. Easyjet has just ordered another 54 aircraft for the regions, 5 on 4 off. 90 grand plus, you lot are on another planet. Oh I forgot you like low pay, cold food and an aircraft that shakes! Wake up and smell the coffee. You do have boilers on board don't you?!!!!