Originally Posted by
FXLAX
Point of order: Continental paid Skywest to do due diligence in order for Skywest to provide an offer to buy XJT. Skywest was able to look at XJT’s books. In order to proved Skywest more leverage, Continental exercised a clause in the CPA with XJT and gave notice to XJT they were giving them the 12 month notice of winding down XJT and a complete transfer of all 244 aircraft to Skywest or alternatively provide Continental the same deal Skywest was offering. Once Skywest did their due diligence, they offered to buy XJT but they put contingencies in the offer which included the pilots taking a 16% pay cut and not to get rid of the contract section that would’ve forced a seniority list merger of XJT/Asa/skywest. The pilots negotiated with Skywest but were unable to come to an agreement. Instead of winding down, XJT signed the CPA Skywest negotiate with Continental (which had the 16% concession assumptions built in) and so the losses under the CPA started. With the 30 xjt branded 145s, xjt was able to enter into an agreement with United. Shortly thereafter, the UAL/CAL merger was announced. In other words, it was all pre-planned by CAL/UAL.
Many years later, United decided to transfer the 145s XJT was operating to TSA and CMT. If there are any non-xjt 145XRs operating, they were ALL originally XJT operated since they were the only operator who ever flew them until they were transferred away.
Ho hum. And the bickering begins as we fight over the table scraps. I’m not arguing XJT hasn’t had a rough go of it. All I’m saying is TSA was set to get the UAL contract (pre merger) that XJT undercut at the last minute with their XJT branded grounded 145s. I don’t have any hard feelings about it bc that is the way it goes in the regional world. I only bring it up bc eventually approximately that same number of aircraft years later got transferred from XJT to TSA and it sounded as if some were insinuating that basically the rightful home of those aircraft is with XJT and therefore we shouldn’t care that they are now being taken away from TSA and shutting the airline down. Well if TSA wouldn’t have lost that contract to XJT years prior then those aircraft probably wouldn’t have been transferred to TSA two years ago. TSA, since the jet age, has always been about a 50 aircraft carrier. The contract in 09 would have brought us slightly over that. We currently have about 40 aircraft flying for United. We are now going down to zero. I understand the specific history of those specific aircraft coming from XJT. I also know that we were flying different 145s for United that went away when the XRs came on property. I am not however tracking those aircraft down and arguing they should rightfully come back to TSA. As long as the side of the aircraft says United Express on it, not Trans States and not Express Jet, then those aren’t anyone’s aircraft except United’s to do with as they please.