Originally Posted by
Zoomie
. . . . All these aircraft were ordered around 2006 time frame, 4 years before the MAD and well before the merger at any legacies was even feasible. Had it not been for the economic downturn, none of these mergers would have been approved by the DOJ.
I'm not saying it's unfair, its reality.
You really think CAL wasn't going to get the aircraft orders without UAL? You didn't seem to address that fact. What was CAL going to do with all its aircraft orders absent a merger?
Here are a couple facts and a quote from the 2009 Continental Annual Report:
Capacity. Because of the adverse economic conditions in 2009, we reduced our consolidated capacity by 5.2% in 2009 and rescheduled aircraft deliveries. We do not anticipate returning to significant capacity growth unless the level of demand for air travel, economic conditions and our financial performance improve sufficiently to justify such growth.
We expect only modest capacity growth for 2010, with our consolidated capacity increasing between 1.0% and 2.0%.
1) CAL ordered 25 787s. By May 2013 CAL had retired 10 767s and brought in 6 787s. That equals NO GROWTH from 2010 to 2013.
2) The fleet count since the merger was completed is down for mainline, but CAL has dramatically increased block hours. That equals GROWTH, but NOT because of airplane orders.
CAL HAD a growth plan, but this industry turns on a dime and the REALITY was the economic downturn and the Delta merger CHANGED everyone's plan. You are arguing about what you believe would have happened and not focusing on what actually happened. I have said numerous times before that I agree with the evidence presented by the UAL specialist namely Continental would easily have obtained financing for their orders and had no trouble getting planes, but as has been pointed out time and again just because a company orders planes with the intent of growing does not mean those plans are written in stone.
The reality is that Continental management in 2009 was looking for 1 to 2% growth going forward in a best case scenario, and what Continental pilots got was greater than 10% growth from 2010 to 2013. If you can not see that the merger boosted growth overall than I'm not sure there is any need to keep pestering you any more.
Continental was a great company and I have many friends (who are now senior to me) that work there, but the merger and the ISL are no reason to go on a "Hate UAL Rampage" which is mostly what I hear from CAL APC posters.