hvydriver

It means over 1000 good flying jobs are about to evaporate.

Vone

Folks,

This just came out about an hour ago. We may be down but we’re certainly not out. Check out the entire article, but below is what Hete had to say.

Mike V

http://www.aircargoworld.com/break_news/05272008c.htm

Hete also noted that "ABX Air's management team, working in tandem with our other ATSG companies, is already examining alternatives for deploying our DHL aircraft with other customers, and other business options that would maximize the return on our investments and the capabilities of our employees. Those options may include services for customers in the U.S. and around the world in markets where demand for efficient, flexible air cargo and related services continues to expand."

rollndadice

Mike,

Love the optimism, but seriously, what would you say if you were the CEO? To quote Ferris Bueller..."what are you still doing here? It's over, go home now. "

Good luck with the next couple of months.

seabass

Sweet,

I finally showed up to the party to find out it's over. I guess I better start looking for work again.

SB

130drvr

I wonder how this will impact ABX holding's other company ATI? I am not sure of the whole relationship around DHL and BAX

Whistlin' Dan

From an undisclosed source. Heavily edited so as to protect the origin.

"UPS...visited...TOL last week. They were trying to establish allocations on our network. ...told that UPS Supply Chain is expecting a reduction of brown tail capacity and they would use the BAX Network to automate their origin routing guides. ...the UPS Supply Chain director [has not been supportive of BAX in the past]. [Therefore] it was puzzling last week to hear him talk of partnership and a desire to gain access to the BAX network. (Times must be rough)

...UPS is a publicly traded company....this deal is large enough to have required UPS to have made this announcement under SEC regulations. We, along with many other freight forwarders, have had million dollar agreements with UPS that have never been announced. While UPS will try to "spin" this to be a normal freight forwarder agreement, I believe it will not only impact UPS Supply Chain's capacity but that of the greater forwarder community as well. UPS will use this opportunity to yield manage their brown tail aircraft network pushing the lower yielding freight to alternative lift providers...."

If I decipher this correctly, what they're saying is that even though times are tough, there's still cargo out there to be flown.

This is all law-of-the-jungle stuff. DHL tried to run with the big cats, but fell. Now, the big cats are shooing the buzzards off the carcass until they're done with it.

Still some soft tissue and gristle out there, for those with the stomach for it.

Sniper

This is not good news, even for UPS pilots. ASTAR and ABEX pilots both have relatively high value contracts, and their pay rates are some of the few that are comparable UPS on the cargo side (not to mention passenger ops).

This represents the potential loss of an airline with a pension, and, if ABEX and ASTAR ultimately fail (inefficient aircraft, loss of primary customer, slowing US and global economy), will further highlight the disparity between the few airlines that have, and the majority that do not. It will become increasingly difficult for pilot groups to get back to past levels in contract talks as the industry average descends.

The hardships of ASTAR and ABEX will directly impact all of us, even those of us who's companies will see growth from this deal.

I know pilots just 'fly the planes', but the compensation and benefits we receive for our efforts and performance become harder to justify as more of our brethren perform similarly for less. With 1000's of highly qualified aviators on the street now and the potential for many more due to these recent events, the requirement to put food on the table will make it increasingly difficult for those without steady employment to hold out, helping those of us who still are employed. For this job to remain a professional career, we need to make efforts to protect it, even if we're close to pulling the ejection handle ourselves (Have you seen how many of us are second generation professional aviators? What are the odds one of YOUR children or a child you mentor might be inspired to become a pilot b/c of you?)

There are 1000's of us out of jobs. Even if your company doesn't have pilots out on furlough, know that there are many of your fellow brothers who are in need. Do what you can to help their cause, our cause.

SKMarz

Well said.....what impacts one pilot group impacts us all, easy to forget in these troubled times.

Whistlin' Dan

Excellent post, Sniper.

Unfortunately, the message will be lost to everybody except those who have lost, or are about to lose their jobs.

UPSAv8tr

[QUOTE=There are 1000's of us out of jobs. Even if your company doesn't have pilots out on furlough, know that there are many of your fellow brothers who are in need. Do what you can to help their cause, our cause.[/QUOTE]

I agree we must do what we can to help our brothers/sisters out. I, for one, will ask our Union to try to press for pref. hiring of these people. Perhaps an equally important questiond is: Are the Unions at the passenger carriers going to push for the same hiring practice? After all, we are all pilots, no matter whats behind our bulkheads.

Please do not blame the line guys/gals over here at UPS for this unfortunate event. We did not even remotely see this coming and even if we did there would be little we could have done to prevent it.

Frats.