Western Global Airlines cracked the code on how to capture the advantages of the MD-11F to benefit its customers

WGA’s fleet of MD-11F’s is the best in the industry and offers many advantages. All our aircraft are heavy weight max payload models, all are powered by GE’s CF6-80 C2 D1F engines, the most fuel efficient and reliable available, and they benefit from fleet commonality. The operating fleet is supplemented by spare aircraft and engines, the world’s most extensive MD-11 parts inventory, and the highest maintenance expertise. All are certified to WGA’s stringent FAA 121 standards, and our Boeing Tier-1 Customer status ensures the highest quality support from the OEM.


"The world's most extensive MD-11 parts inventory"?:cool:

Guess the -11 wasn't quite the be all and end all for WGA:

News - Western Global Airlines

Link no worky for me...

I just tried it. Worked OK. It says they are getting 747-400s.

Didn't we just have a comm from Bowman or Tim or someone that there is no truth to rumor that Company was seeking to buy more MD-11s?

I think there will be a small bid - maybe 50 widebody captains and it won't come out at least until the summer after annual business plan is made. Retirements aren't anywhere near what people were expecting (they are actually about average for a crew force of 4400 and a 25 year career=176) - average age of retiree still north of 63 (and that counts those that leave involuntarily).

If say 10 captains retire , how are their positions filled ? If it is through a system bid , how often is there a system bid ?

Annually at best - lately I would say every 18 months - part of the reason why manning is so screwed up right now I suspect.

MMMMMM , So , when a group of guys retire ( 10 or so ) it could be a year before those positions are awarded ? The schedules they would have flown are covered by who ? Reserves and time and a half pay ?

10 guys would be nothing - say 10 captains retire resulting in 10,000 hours added in that bid pack over a year - divide that by say the 600 captains in that equipment and you'd only have to add about 1.5 CH to the average BLG each month. Min BLGs go up and eventually come down.

Flex instructor who bumped my CA this week said they were told "potentially the biggest bid in FedEx history, 900+ movements."

Jim Bowman was telling crew members in the AOC during the MEM Christmas party "very large bid, bid what you want because you're probably going to get it."

An LCA I recently flew with said they want to get guys in the aircraft where they're going to stay a long while instead of ... for example ... a low-mid seniority FO going to the 777, training on it, then leaving it on the next bid to go to 757CA.

Another flex said, big bid. After that, expect smaller bids using the new vacancy system in the TA.