Originally Posted by
n9810f
If DAL axes any of the Republic flying (Chautauqua and Shuttle America), Delta is on the hook for the aircraft...if the cessation of services is terminated before the contract's expiration. It's spelled out very clearly in the Annual Report. I think all of the Shuttle E-jets are owned and the 145's are leased, so DAL would have to buy or lease the aircraft assigned to the contracts.
So. The jets could slide on over to Compass, ASA, Comair, SKYW/EXJ or an as yet to be invented whipsaw provider, or split across the entire DCI "portfolio" rather quickly and effortlessly.
That is one of the reasons many (myself included) speculate that ALPA/DALPA is too scared to lift a finger unless forced to do so by the membership. They will argue that since the flying will continue to be outsourced even if we win, and that will present a cost to the company yet the same flying will still be outsourced, that we shouldn't bother because all we would be doing is costing the company money that could be used for our fat raises. I bet even ALPA's legendary EF'nA will say the same thing.
Yet filling the coffers of a cut throat ultra LCC competitor, especially one with God himself (or herself, if it gets us some underboob) on the board of directors, is why this issue is worth forcing.