Originally Posted by
Lost Decade
Regarding this issue, clarifying. I would assume that a single certificate with common opspecs would be required before the SOC element could be common to both operators?
Dispatch is obviously regulated where crew scheduling and other support would be more gray area.
Anyone have any experience here?
Yes SOC means single certificate, which normally means bringing the acquired operation under the acquiring carrier's certificate.
Yes that would also need a single OPSPEC but an OPSPEC can and will have differences across fleets. Although in this case it would likely mostly consist of just bringing the SY 737's under the G4 737 rules, except any operationally unique stuff might need to be carved out (and example might be if one carrier had HUDs and the other didn't.)
The acquired carrier's SOP/FOM would be adjusted, typically in several phases. Training would likely be via CBT or maybe just during recurrent. In some cases, such as for flows/checklists, you'll just get a memo to learn/practice a new way of doing things, which will be effective on a certain date... that would be a good week to take vacation, while people unfluck themselves
At or prior to SOC the acquired carrier's flight ops will be on the common OPSPEC, FOM, SOP, etc. The company can operate out of a single HQ and control center at that point, and I would expect that with just 737's to integrate.
At that point the company has achieved a lot of synergies, but crew admin, pay, contract admin etc would still need to be handled separately until JCBA. They would likely keep the 737's segregated, because the CBA workrules and scheduling would be different... they wouldn't want an entire G4 crew to time out because, if for example, the SY FO has better workrules in his CBA.
All of that can and likely will happen before JCBA and SLI. Not sure where the union merger fits into that but it would not be a holdup for SOC.
Everybody is locked into their original fleet(s) until SLI. There is the potential for painful pre-SLI adjustments to flying and domiciles as the company sets the table for SLI. They might also take advantage of a lower-cost pilot group by shifting flying from the higher-cost group. There's nothing to prevent say G4 planes from getting flowed through MSP, and also nothing to prevent them from opening a G4 737 crew base in MSP. Not saying they will, just something to be aware of.
We actually got the company to agree to some limits on block hour changes in the TPA, but some AS pilots were sure surprised when the company opened a 787 base in SEA, crewed by HA pilots.
Originally Posted by
Lost Decade
Also, does the Hawaiian cargo operate under part 117?
I don't know.