Message from Subodh: ExpressJet Reboot – Interested in Returning?



Dear colleague:



ExpressJet is preparing to restart operations as early as September-October this year as an independent airline under our own brand. We will start small - with a couple of ERJ145s - and grow from there. We are waiting for the Department of Transportation (DOT) final “fitness” confirmation. I expect that by the 1st week of August. We have our FAA 121 AOC.



Why will ExpressJet succeed? Because our business plan will: (1) Leverage our 35-year history and experience with the ERJ145, (2) Fly in markets abandoned by the network carriers – while they merged and reduced 50-seat flying, and (3) Avoid overlap with other airlines.



You can find more details of our Business Plan in our DOT fitness application here.



The ExpressJet planning folks would like to know your interest in returning to ExpressJet as we prepare for launch. Therefore, in advance of any formal “Recall Notice”, we would appreciate your clicking on this link to let us know of your interest. This will also allow us to keep you abreast of our “Reboot” with regular updates of our journey.



NOTE: This is NOT an official recall notice. That will be per your Collective Bargaining Agreement (e.g. Section 13 of the ALPA CBA)



Sincerely,

Subodh

 

So if expressjet reboots independently what happens to the pilots in the Aviate program?

 

Maybe someone has more details but last I heard they let those in the program apply hours from a different carrier

 

Won’t happen.

 

that's a fart in the wind

 

they stay furloughed as 1984-1988 hires are recalled to staff 4 planes

 

True, but the question is if the furloughed pilots still qualify for Aviate. At Mesa you have to be UA dedicated to qualify, if ExpressJet becomes independent, does that screw over every single pilot currently in the Aviate queue.

 

I’m not sure how it screws them over. You have to fly 2,000 hrs of UAL branded flight at an Aviate carrier. ExpressJet is not going to be an Aviate carrier any longer. So if you have the 2,000 you should be good. If you don’t you need to apply at an Aviate carrier. They are all hiring. What am I missing?

 

There came out from the union that if you are flying while invited to AVIATE you can continue flying for your operator building hours towards AVIATE. But the condition is you have to be former XJT and flying for someone as of this past year. So if you’re flying for one of the other regionals, or a 135 operation, it counts.

 

Yeah I got that email followed by an email a month later saying that was no longer applicable. So basically there was a short window back around March of about 30 days in which if you had another job or a CJO you could use the exception. If you didn’t get in the window you now have to go to an Aviate carrier.

So I guess maybe the question is does being furloughed at XJT count as being employed? Seems far-fetched to think the best course of action would be to wait around on a recall that may or may not happen to get hours that may or may not count.