yes, what you got?

 

Also what’s the 411 on the 9E flows? I’ve heard that DL can defer them 3 months?

 

Yes. There's a required ratio per class but the company can put them on the seniority list then defer their indoc for 3 months.

 

I was at meetings in ATL. Can't give you all the "inside" info but expect new hire classes (other than flows) to begin OOA mid Jan - Feb maybe as late as March. I can't give you specific dates, just the the general timeframe. I know the dates, it was in the presentation. Just can't be specific. From the presentation I am willing to say that maybe mid to late January is likely, but that's my own summation based on what was presented.

MAX 10 is looking more like Q2-Q3 of 2027. Still lots of supply chain issues with NEOs as well. The further MAX delays, coupled with the NEO delays, means we are basically hiring for attrition only. So I would tell you expect around 500ish hires for 2026. Maybe slightly more. Again, can't get into the specific numbers, only general stuff.

767-300ER retirement is getting pushed up to ~2028. It's been published 2030, but that timeline is getting moved to the left. 75's - quite a few will go to the desert as well. We'll keep as many around as we can given parts and supplies. Tough issue to be in here, but the goal is to keep them flying as long as we can given the MAX and NEO issues. I would go into the PW GTF stuff, but that's kinda a legal thing. It's not pretty.

We are not interested in ANY of Spirits jets. We've had our experiences, especially the 73 Fleet with the Lion Air jets. We are pretty much done with buying used jets from other carriers for awhile.

Profit Sharing - we are expecting slightly lower earnings Q4. Expect PS to be less this time than last years'. But not by much.

Presenters were very upper management of Tech Ops, Flight Ops and our "HQ" (I think you know who they are, I'm not naming names, but they are very high up the food chain).

DELTA is doing strong financially, we are still #1 out there, yes UAL is getting close, but our folks are aware and have some additional stuff in the quiver to pull out that UAL won't expect. I wouldn't say they are flippant about UAL, but they don't seem too concerned about them. The whole financial briefing was good, it was nice to hear how solid the air line is now and going into the future.

In some respects it was sobering presentation - especially how right now our growth is hamstrung by lack of aircraft being delivered (we're not alone here, UAL is in the same boat, they just don't admit it publicly), but overall we are on solid footing and the upper, very upper management has good plans for us as an air line. Some other interesting things presented as well, but I'll have to wait to release that info.

 

The fact that you didn't mention anything about the 787 is all the proof I need to know Ludacris is gonna announce them next month! 767's retiring earlier because NEW DREAMLINERS!!!!!


*tin foil hat off*

 

I’m not so sure that’s tin foil hat stuff…

Thanks for the update HK. Nice to have even a trickle of water out here in the desert.

 

Yeah I do find it "odd" how every other ER LCA on my JS was so vocal about the 787's a few months ago and then suddenly complete radio silence. Just can't tell if the deal died or if something is being worked to the point that everyone was sworn to secrecy. Guess time will tell.

 

In all my years here I've never figured out this whole "LCA said" thing. Your average run of the mill knuckle dragging LCA most likely doesn't have the full picture. The leads for each fleet will be in the meetings like I went to, but no one else from standards. There's lots of stuff that is corporate knowledge we don't want out there. That's why I post things that I know will not be "problematic". I think many LCA's sometimes inject some personal bias in what they tell you out there. I can't say for certain, but that is my guess. Yes at the standards meetings the corporate guys come in and give presentations, however it's not like the ones that happen in the exclusive offices on the 4th.

What is really known is held close and told only to a select few. The leads are definitely a part of that, as they and the training captains have to make plans, develop training and checking stuff, you know the drill.

I wish we could tell you guys/gals more, but we need to retain some level of control on what's planned. If we sent it all out there, it would be all over SM and that just gives our competition free intel we don't want them to have.

Don't get me wrong here, in the standards meetings the LCA's are given quite a bit of info, but I will tell they are not given ALL of it. Take it for what its worth

 

Yeah I get it. It's also funny that when an LCA spreads a tumor, it gives a certain "seal of authenticity" that makes it more spreadable. "We're looking at getting 787's" doesn't hit the same way coming from my FO as it does hearing it from a dude with a white lanyard.

 

you’re confusing leads and chiefs. A lead line check pilot is just very slightly above a “knuckle dragger”. The chief standards captain (formerly known as the chief line check pilot) goes to the kind of meetings you are talking about.