ExpressJet told United in January 2014 that it needs to cut flying
Mar 1, 2014, 11:27 am
#46
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I think there are more than enough pilots. The problem is that the starting salary of $22K/year does not get them in the cockpit or flight school. Many do other things, don't fly commercially, and some fly overseas.
The real issue is that what is needed is to double or more the pay for RJ pilots, and at that point RJ costs - already very high - go up further. The airlines don't want to pay more, so the result is what you see with UAL - flight cuts/cancellations. United however, with its much larger RJ fleet is really exposed here.
The real issue is that what is needed is to double or more the pay for RJ pilots, and at that point RJ costs - already very high - go up further. The airlines don't want to pay more, so the result is what you see with UAL - flight cuts/cancellations. United however, with its much larger RJ fleet is really exposed here.
My kid is in this cohort. He's been flying for six years, since he was 14, and wants nothing more than to occupy the flight deck for a US carrier. But circumstances have him looking at almost anything else instead, from a career with NOAA (he's also getting a climatology degree) to ATC to even flying in Asia or the ME. And he says the aviation-prep programs at his university and elsewhere are shedding students right and left as they (and their parents, with their checkbooks) wise up to the horrid economic status quo.
Staffing at the regionals is sliding into chaos / crisis as the ranks reduce and few are dumb / desperate enough to sign on for training. It's going to get worse before it gets better. At some point the ticket-of-entry requirements have to modify or US aviation will suffer in a macro sense.
Mar 1, 2014, 12:37 pm
#47
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All the majors are going to have to start paying more for regional flying, which means that the only way they can justify it is by flying the bigger RJs or returning flights to mainline. Sounds like a win for us, even if ticket prices are a little higher ^
Mar 1, 2014, 2:10 pm
#48
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From the 10-Ks recently filed (all as of 12/31/13), UA had 572 regional planes and 693 mainline planes.
New AA, on the other hand, had 559 regional planes (slightly fewer than UA) and had 965 mainline planes. UA's network is far more reliant on regional planes than is AA's network.
The story is the same at DL; as of 12/31, DL had 532 regional planes (fewer than UA or AA) and had 743 mainline planes.
In terms of absolute size, UA has the largest regional fleet. In terms of relative size, the UA regional fleet is the largest by far.
Mar 1, 2014, 2:21 pm
#49
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Mar 1, 2014, 3:41 pm
#51
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are we quibbling over "much larger fleet" vs "much larger percentage of the fleet"?
Since UA based on 12/31/13 10-K has the largest RJ fleet (maybe not "much" larger in absolute count) but percentage 45% versus the nearest DL of 40%
Since UA based on 12/31/13 10-K has the largest RJ fleet (maybe not "much" larger in absolute count) but percentage 45% versus the nearest DL of 40%
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 1, 2014 at 3:47 pm Reason: added numbers
Mar 1, 2014, 5:47 pm
#53
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Apr 30, 2014, 6:08 pm
#54
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I fly out of South Texas (BRO-Brownsville, HRL-Harlingen, and MFE-Mcallen) on a weekly basis. Lately I've noticed an increased number of cancelled flights out of these airports. I have no basis to say if it's coincidence or a true increase, as I don't have access to that data. What I do know is that at least once a week the first morning flight out of one of these airports (en route to IAH) is cancelled. It's like gambling trying to figure out which airport is the least unreliable. Last week I had the 5:20am flight from BRO to IAH cancel, so the United rep directed me to HRL. After arriving at the gate at the second airport, we were told the crew was just arriving and we would board about 30 minutes late. A few moments later, we were told the flight was delayed for over 5 hours. I had to get a taxi for approx $100 to drive me to MFE and luckily got on their 7am flight. Is this due to pilot shortage, or does anyone have some insight? What I could find online is that approx. 1 in 20 ExpressJet flights is cancelled on a daily basis. This seems a bit excessive. It's one thing to have to ride in one of these jets, and another to plan to, and be unable to.
Apr 30, 2014, 6:42 pm
#55
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I fly out of South Texas (BRO-Brownsville, HRL-Harlingen, and MFE-Mcallen) on a weekly basis. Lately I've noticed an increased number of cancelled flights out of these airports. I have no basis to say if it's coincidence or a true increase, as I don't have access to that data. What I do know is that at least once a week the first morning flight out of one of these airports (en route to IAH) is cancelled. It's like gambling trying to figure out which airport is the least unreliable. Last week I had the 5:20am flight from BRO to IAH cancel, so the United rep directed me to HRL. After arriving at the gate at the second airport, we were told the crew was just arriving and we would board about 30 minutes late. A few moments later, we were told the flight was delayed for over 5 hours. I had to get a taxi for approx $100 to drive me to MFE and luckily got on their 7am flight. Is this due to pilot shortage, or does anyone have some insight? What I could find online is that approx. 1 in 20 ExpressJet flights is cancelled on a daily basis. This seems a bit excessive. It's one thing to have to ride in one of these jets, and another to plan to, and be unable to.
South Texas to IAH, year to date:
Code:
month | on_time | cancels ------------+---------+--------- 2014-01-01 | 71% | 10.4% 2014-02-01 | 68% | 4.6% 2014-03-01 | 79% | 3.5% 2014-04-01 | 87% | 2.8%