Message from Ryan Gumm,

"As I’ve outlined in previous communications our business strategy will streamline our operation into a single-fleet operator to become the premier two-class regional partner for Delta. The timeframe by which we will operate only the CRJ-900 has been accelerated by our pilot attrition and hiring challenges. As a result, Delta has been seeking other carriers to operate CRJ-200 50-seat aircraft since earlier this year.
Later today, you will see news about the addition of Air Wisconsin to the Delta Connection family. Delta has reached a conceptual agreement with Air Wisconsin to fly CRJ-200s previously operated by Endeavor. Although this agreement is still being finalized, the target is for Air Wisconsin will begin flying their first five Delta Connection aircraft in January, with an additional 2-3 aircraft added per month, through October 2015, with a goal of operating 26 aircraft. Additionally, SkyWest has received two former Endeavor CRJ-200 aircraft and will receive 12 total planes. As a fellow Delta Connection carrier, I want to welcome Air Wisconsin into the network and we want to do everything we can to smoothly transition our aircraft to both Air Wisconsin and SkyWest.
This news aligns with our stated objective of focusing on our CRJ-900 flying. I’m confident that by eliminating our 50-seat flying, we will be able to position Endeavor for a much more stable future. We have a strong commitment from Delta to operate 81 aircraft through 2020; with your commitment to safety, operational excellence, and the Delta brand, I feel good about our ability to deliver on that commitment."

Delta had a "strong commitment" to have Endeavor continue to fly the 200's. I'm willing to bet that the 81 900's will start to be distributed to other DCI carriers starting in June. 1600 pilots on the list, 60-70/month attrition leaves around 1100 by June. The Director of flight ops says they are looking at a target number of 1300 pilots. GOOD LUCK!!

 

It's going to be interesting for sure.

 

So what has changed since two years ago when Delta committed the airline to 81 CRJ-900 fleet? Sounds like everything is on track according to plan.

 

I think the big deal here is you are going to see FO's from airlines such as Envoy and Endeavor jumping ship at an even faster rate now.

 

Yeah I seem to remember that all official communication from either Delta or 9e indicated that 9e was to become a fleet of only 81 crj900's over a period of around 2-3 years, I think.

 

Old news...we all knew this. This is not the end of 9E. After 2020...we will see.

I move to either close this thread due to misleading title or change title.

 

So far the plan has been to park one fleet type and then staff the 900's with the excess pilots. Endeavor has never existed as a stable/growing company. Only a shrinking one. So what magically changes when they hit 81? My guess is nothing, they continue to shrink and give away 900's a couple at a time. Delta won't stand for cancelled flights due to crew, nor will they give out a flow, and I certainly don't see them raising pay in order to attract pilots. The easiest thing to do is just continue to do what is proven. Give the aircraft to airlines that can staff. I can see this Air Wisconsin contract as a trial run to see how well they can staff/perform, and if proven then the 900's will follow. Endeavor only existed to lower pinnacle/mesaba/ and compass slowly into the grave in order to minimize the impact on their operation.

 

Compass? Um, nope.

 

I'm assuming he meant Colgan

 

I don't think everything is on track according to how they planned it to go down, they had been using 35 as the expected attrition number in order to slowly end the 200 flying. They are now in scramble mode as hundreds of flights are being cancelled, or threatened to be cancelled, and they are shooting for an extremely aggressive timeline moving the flying as quickly as possible. The FAA isn't know for their speediness, especially now with the holidays, as usual it is going to be a huge cluster. The original plan was also to make a decision on 9E the first quarter of 2016. There is no way what is happening now is their plan on track. The train derailed months ago, no one cared enough to pay any attention. A few hundred possible cancellations has caused someone to wake up. Their plan to keep 81 900's is also not on track, there is no way they will staff them for summer. If there is a plan, or was ever a plan, they must be on plan Z by now and it is failing miserably. In my opinion, nothing good will come to the pilots of 9E, there will be some legal maneuvering getting Delta out of their SSP and 2020 commitment and then 9E will be done, I give it 8 months tops. A little simplistic, I know, but using the current hiring/attrition numbers there will not be a single pilot on property in 2 years. How do you fly 81 900's with no pilots? You don't, you hire really expensive lawyers and move the flying to someone who is able to hire pilots.