Originally Posted by
SailorJerry
Has anyone asked Alfa yet why he and his constructive engagement didn't find it appropriate to ensure that Delta Jets are flown by Delta pilots? He keeps hinging everything on the smoke and mirrors of compound interest and pay issues which are ok. They're a 50.01% pass. But yet no one can come clean and explain to me why the most qualified pilots in the Delta system were passed over for a fleet of 70 aircraft (because you know GD well the 717s are growth-neutral).
Explain. Someone. Please.
Because DAL is stuck until very late in the decade with contracts for DCI lift. The only way out is to form a deal with a DCI to remove 50's from a DAL obligation and replace it with a reduced number of larger jets.
The DCI companies can't put themselves out business by just giving up their contracts, the shareholders of those publicly held companies would be outraged. IF DAL could accelerate the parking of 50's and not have to be accountable to paying a DCI anyway, they would.
The additional 76's aren't going to DCI out of charity or desire, they are going out of necessity.
A true hard cap is the first step, and if/when we are "back at the table" (maybe in 2 years and 10 months) we can start looking at the "sunset clauses" and starting to knock down the 450 limit as planes are coming off of the "financial commitments".
All of this while:
LCC has a RJ fleet of over 550 (and is a fraction of the size of DAL)
UCAL has over 550 RJ's and UNLIMITED 70's
AMR 1113 and the AMR/LCC term sheet will allow around
800 if not MORE RJ's upto 81-88 seats.