ASTAR and ABX
 

Are they two seperate companies? I thought that DHL( day and a half late) bought ABX? Anyone know how all this hodge podge works? :confused:

ABX Air flies DC-9s and 767s (maybe still have some 8's?)
ASTAR flies 727s, A-300s and I believe they have a couple 8s as well

Airborne Express does the ground handling.

All are different companies.

I used to work for ASTAR, DHL bought ABX's sort facility in Wilmington and basically contracts out flying to ASTAR and ABX. It is kind of a weird setup because they are both competing against each other for DHL's flights. They are two completely separate companies.

Astar and ABX Air are two seperate companies....both ACMIs....both can be dropped in a nano second......DHL has ABX Air on a strings and it seems they can cut them at any time....park this 8 bring back this 9 no wait park this 9 and bring back this 8 wait make that two 8s...no no no bring back 3 9s.....I cant imagine why I havent been called back from furlough!!!! I can only assume management is pulling their hairs out!!!! I hope they call soon!!!

Maybe it has something to with having to hand on and offload the cargo on their 9's...craziest thing I've seen. No cargo door. Only pax doors.

sounds like they will. good luck to you. so, since they are contract, they can be pulled at the end of the agreement term? what sort of future will they have?:confused:

Hey matty,

if you have seen the operation you know that they operate with a C container...saving money by not retrofitting acft with cargo doors....it was a niche market at first (in my opinion) but as things have progressed it is painfully obvious that if you want to compete you have to have a cargo door to accept A containers. By the way "Delivered Hours Late" Dewy, Hewy, and Lewy" Heard them all....we all have our crosses to bear...if I get called back I will be proud to represent DHL. (I think.....for now..")....Fex Ex and UPS shoudnt worry.....

Drugs, Handguns and Liquor, Daddy Has to Leave... You haven't heard them all, because they haven't all been thought of...yet.

As for "how this hodgepodge all works," the short answer is, it doesn't, at least when compared to their competition. DHL is a perfect example of a "virtual company," one which exists largely on paper and which has few actual employees. They operate through the efforts of thousands of supposedly-independent "subcontractors," few of which have any incentive to see the company grow or prosper. They know that no matter how well they perform in service to DHL, their own status as "subcontractors" means that their jobs will always be subject to lower bidders, I.E., temporary at best.

The end-result of this "motivation by uncertainty" has been evident in the performance of DHL as of late. The people who actually touch the boxes don't care if those boxes get where they're supposed to go on time, or if they get fired for not ensuring that they do. It's not that good of a job in the first place...

Whatever contracts are presented to the pilots of both groups will determine whether pilots start to feel the same way about their jobs as well.

As for the relationship between ABX and Astar, they're like a couple of cats tied together by their tails and thrown over a clothesline. Neither has begun clawing at the other...yet...but then, neither has lost any jobs to the other...yet. The relationship is tenuous at best, and likely to grow ever more so as long as they're represented by different unions.

Dan Dan Dan....spoken like a person who has an opinion but doesnt really know of what he speaks.....Astar has lost routes to ABX and hey guess what...ABX has lost routes to Astar ultimately that equates to jobs or the lack thereof...never say never but I'm not sure there are enough low budget charter operators that can do the job we are doing on a daily basis and provide the service that DHL is trying to establish. There have been mistakes but we are trying to fix them....you kind of have nothing but negative to say about ABX/ASTAR......they not hire you or what....your kind of whistlin out your shorts

Of course I have an opinion, as do you. In them, we may not agree. But if I've misstated some material fact, please correct me. The problem with ABX/Astar isn't the "sharing of routes" of which you speak. The problem lies in DHL's bringing in of ACMI carriers to service what growth they've enjoyed over the last 15 years. You don't see UPS or FedEx doing that, which is why DHL will always be a distant third-string carrier for which to work.

But let's assume that I "don't know of what I speak." I'll now pose the question to you..."Why does it take an average of 6 years to make Captain at UPS or FedEx, and 12 years (and counting, with NO immediate plans to hire) at ABX/Astar? Ya wanna try for some bonus points? Give me your best estimate on how many guys you'd need to upgrade were it not for the fact that Gemini, Kalitta, Northwest, (and soon) Polar was doing much of your International flying. The failure to grow either ABX or Astar is by design. Again, to be a seat-locked subcontractor in an industry that's been growing at 16% per year does not indicate to me a good company with which to plan your future.

The problem is in the way DHL is structured. Unless you can compell DHL to merge ABX and Astar, bring them "in house" and then start honoring their committment to scope, there's nothing to "fix."

As for there being enough "low budget operators" to serve DHL's needs, I've heard that ATI has already expressed an interest in taking over much of that service. I doubt it would happen overnight, but I think it could be done. But then, that's just my opinion...

Why would you assume that my "negative opinion" about what's going on at DHL/Astar is born of frustration over not being hired there? I can assure you, it is not. I am but one of many who wishes we had made some different decisions about where to hang our Ray-Bans for the last 10 or 20 years.