Originally Posted by sailingfun

It does require more pilots. They will be coming. The contract was signed less then 100 days ago. The first aircraft that you site don't arrive until Aug of 2013. That schedule has not changed a day.

According to the Nov staffing memo the first 717 deliveries will now occur in September 2012. Is there a problem with the AD compliance and SW doing the interior and paint mods?

They expect to add as many as 150 mil leave returnees to the list this winter. 15 are in class now. Probably does you little good since most were 2000-01 hires but its more bodies. They never planned on hiring more then a handful of pilots this year under any circumstances. Next year they will be hiring and it will continue for many years unless there is a world wide collapse.

According to Tim Hennie-Road at a base visit they would only be hiring if the DC9 stayed to 2014, which it now appears it will. Hring due to the DC9 not the 717. This indicates that the 717 is delayed.

You should however keep one thing in mind. They are making record profits only because of severe capacity restraint on the part of marketing. If that breaks down the profits will evaporate.