That's VERY interesting. :D

If the 717s are slated to join the mad dog fleet, Delta will need several months' work to get the cockpits nasty, beat-up, and generally disgusting enough to be standardized with the 88s/90s currently on the property.

I was one of the last recalled, and I've been watching that number for 3 months now, expecting it to drop to zero. I posted about this in the past also. Prior posters have got it right I think, with the 10 years from furlough to declare your intentions or bail.
Additionally, guys who went on long mil leave after the recall should all have pretty much hit the 5 year limit for mil leave now. It's a complicated can of worms there, with different types of orders not counting towards the 5 years (but those were rare and hard to get after 2007), but in general most mil leave folks from the furlough will have exceeded their "normal" recall times now also. Not hoping anyone ill, but just like to be able to predict with some accuracy how many of those 240 furlough and 140 mil leave or more are actually still out there waiting to flow back in above me ;)

As a furlough and mil leave guy, I'd concur with the accuracy of the company posting actually.

I thought we were told we didn't want 717s.

:D

Should this be taken seriously?

Would the 717s be replacement or growth aircraft? Obviously replacements for the DC-9s... but there are a lot more 717s than DC-9s.

If replacements, hopefully its replacing regional lift. But most likely it'll be replacements for other mainline aircraft.

Now here is what the 73NG...NG wing should be:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../6/2079655.jpg

You could put a very big bypass fan on this way. :D

You are right, the 88s do need a detail job. Something like what the guys at pimp my ride do.

If this proves to be true that's an interesting question. Could be pure growth from where we are now but we are down from where we were at the merger which was when we were not huge, but large.

I guess it depends on ones perspective, but anything more than what we have now imho is growth. Beaten down as that may be.

But my guess would be we could take in those missing 25 717s first and then cycle the FL 717s as they leave their fleet which wouldn't obviously be all at once.

One of the paid adds at the bottom was from rah union on why I wouldn't want to work at rah. They were right, I don't want to work there. Good thing they are flying our pax.

I find the timing of these intensifying 717 rumors to be suspect.

A few days removed from presenting a Section 6 opener?

I don't believe this is a coincidence.

Seems like a diversion.

"Pay no attention to this sh!tty proposed contract! We've got more planes!" maybe