The idea of FedEx outsourcing their flying is nothing new in the airfreight industry; DHL has been doing exactly this for years.

DHL currently has lots of different airlines flying for them around the world:

- 4 are 100% DHL owned airlines; SNAS in Bahrain, EAT in Brussels (Leipzig), DHL Air Ltd. in East Midlands, DHL Aero Expreso in Panama.

- 3 in the US; Astar, ABX, and soon Polar.

- Dozens of others in Hong Kong, China, Africa, the Caribbean, etc. fly everything from A-300's to Cessna Caravans as contractors to DHL.

Published web sites list DHL as having 420 aircraft... who knows.

Anyway, the DHL corporate culture is extremely anti-union. They are very happy with the current arrangement of owning or contracting with dozens of airlines around the world. It's an arrangement that is great for them and lousy for pilots.

I don't know if FedEx would go out and establish airlines in France and Hong Kong, but it seems more likely that they would just go out and buy existing airlines and upgrade them.

Like I said, it's great for them and lousy for pilots.

8DRIVER