L'il J.Seinfeld

727 fleet to be placed in short term storage
16 active aircraft to enter storage in 2007
Over the next six months, UPS will be placing the remaining 16 active aircraft in the 727-100 fleet into short-term storage. The aircraft are being stored as UPS seeks to improve the operating efficiency of its fleet. With a payload of just 46,000 lbs and 8 container positions, the tri-jets are no longer well-suited to UPS’s growing small package and air freight lift needs.
Crewmembers on the 727 fleet will be transitioning to other aircraft over the course of 2007. No pilots will have to downbid, and the airline will continue to hire new crewmembers.

With the elimination of the 727 fleet, UPS will need approximately 200 flight engineers on the DC8 and 747 fleets. We anticipate that some crewmembers over 60 will opt to retire as the 727 fleet transitions to short term storage.

Support workers in Flight Operations, Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering and other functions will move to other fleet types as appropriate.

Roswell, N.M., will be the primary storage point for the 727s, most of which are approaching 40 years of service. The aircraft will be maintained in such a way that they could be returned to service if needed.

UPS began flying 727s in 1982, six years before UPS Airlines officially existed. At one time, UPS operated 51 -100 and -200 series 727s. The aircraft will go down in aviation history for two novel programs – the Rolls Royce Tay re-engining program in the early 1990s, in which UPS first demonstrated its commitment to environmentally-friendly airline operations, and the turn of the century passenger charter conversion program experiment in asset utilization.

L'il J.Seinfeld

Dang, just as I was figuring out how to wedge my flight bag up front.

peterpilot379

So it's possible that you and I could be in training together?

L'il J.Seinfeld

Sure is. The displacement bid comes out Monday. It will be interesting to see what happens. We have a lot of folks who have only flown the 727 since the 1980s.

On another note, if anyone knows what KJDA State Tax is please tell me.

iflysideways

note the key term: SHORT term storage.

Is it possible that UPS is trying to force some of the ROPES out the door? Park the airplanes for a year and force some of the ROPES out the door. ALL 747 engineers and about 90% of DC8 engineers are over 60 and senior to the current 727 Over-60 engineers, so the only place for these ROPES to go is the nursing home.

It would cost a lot in training expenses for all of the Capt and FO transitions, but it would get these top pay scale engineers out the door and make room for new-hires at first year pay when the fleet comes OUT of short term storage. Plus, speaking law-of-large-numbers, it would get rid of about 45 potential captain returnees at the age of 62, 63 or 64 years old when the Age-60 law disappears.

So, would UPS park the entire 727 fleet for a year just to get rid of the retreads?

Anybody care to enlighten?

N570UP

That's not how we should treat our senior citizens!

de727ups

I think they can manage the system without the 72's. So few lines and so few cities the 72 is down to, anyway. I think they are parking them for good.

I spent 10 years great years on it and long for the short legs, but they don't make sense anymore.

Freightpuppy

That's what you get for moving to Looneyville.

767pilot

No, they wouldn't. Word is that there is some depreciation left to get on these planes and that is why they aren't going to be ground up, but that is about it.

BoynamedSue

here comes the furloughs (said in my best laugh-in here come da judge voice)