FedEx Up-coming bid?
 

Any rumors on an up-coming bid?

yes,
rumors of a big MD Capt bid and a huge need for both MD and Bus FOs

my thinking is the big drop in fuel costs is driving reconsideration of fleet issues...if gas is cheap, why buy 'new' planes just now when you can still make good $$ off the ones you alteady have.

if fuel had drpped like this 3 years ago, we might still have 72s

Yep, FedEx is buying every DC-3 and converting them into MD3s.

I suspect there are a BUNCH of MD-11's parked in the desert. You might be able to buy them CHEAP!*?

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../4/0665408.jpg

and one of the rumors is that the MD fleet will increase

Western Global Airlines > Our Fleet

Western Global Airlines’ freighter fleet of 16 company owned fuel-efficient heavyweight wide-body aircraft, all equipped with GE engines, affords it significant operating advantages which benefit its customers

• Our critical mass provides us substantial operating efficiencies
  
• Our aircraft are efficient and reliable, supported by expert maintenance resources
  
• Our Boeing Tier-1 customer status ensures the highest standards
  
• All our aircraft are heavyweight models with maximum payload capability
  
• All our assets are owned outright – freedom from lenders supports our low cost model
  
• We only fly the General Electric CF6-80C2, the most reliable and fuel efficient engine
  
• We own an extensive inventory of spare aircraft, engines and parts

http://www.westernglobalairlines.com...t_w_livery.jpg

The MD-11F is a proven asset, and due to its competitive edge, it is among the most extensively utilized wide-body cargo aircraft in the world

There are as many MD-11 freighters in operation as 747-400F’s, serving as the workhorse of the world’s wide-body cargo fleet.

They are the backbone of the most successful cargo operators in the world, including Fed Ex, Lufthansa and UPS.

The MD-11F has significant strengths and advantages for freight operations as compared to the 777F, 747F, and 767F

The MD-11F edge over the 777F:

• lower cost per kilo
• lower trip cost
• flies faster, less block hours for the same trip
• positioning cost much lower

The MD-11F edge over the 747F:

• lower cost per kilo
• much lower trip cost
• much lower positioning cost
• comparable speed

The MD-11F edge over the 767F:

• much lower cost per kilo
• flies faster, less block hours for the same trip
• carries almost twice the payload, slightly higher trip cost

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 resultant benefits to WGA’s customers are lower price per kilo, lower price per trip, lower risk and increased flexibility


Please contact us for a customized analysis and a quote of your specific requirements

Our Fleet

Please click on an image thumbnail for a larger view

http://www.westernglobalairlines.com...0&h=300&crop=1 http://www.westernglobalairlines.com...0&h=300&crop=1 7 more images on the webpage, but APC limits us to 3 images per post


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Wow! Only took two responses to highjack the thread.:(

I say bid for 150 WB Captains but what do I know.

Double that! 70 Triple7 Capts retiring and 5 shiny new 777's coming soon to a domicile near you. 😀

The Western Global boys are smoking some serious stuff if they really believe all that nonsense.

MG2

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.

So will we be able to bid for training dates for seat movement resulting from this big bid?

Or is this the last gasp of the company controlling our training dates?

I am tired of having my training date moved 3 times, and not being able to plan my life for 1-2 years in the future.

According to the NC, the new filling of vacancy system is phase four... assuming you believe the NC anymore. According to the implementation letter in the TA, phase 4 target date is Novemeber 2016 with a May 2017 deadline.

That's why it had to be an 8 yr contract. To give the company enough time to implement all the things that might cost them something.:rolleyes:

I don't think the new system bid system is going to cost the company anything. They will go to smaller bids, looking out a few months at a time. Few very individuals will receive slot denial payments. Whereas under the old system, large groups of people could have passover pay for long periods of time.

Like the rest of the world......

At my former carrier they announced the classes every month for the next month. A few days later, a practice bid. A few days after it, the final bid. Worked like buttah.

I don't understand the Minimum Staffing Level and the Maximum Staffing Level . Why doesn't the company , who sets those levels , just put out the "Exact" staffing level ? That's what they are going to end up with anyway. When they do the new system bids do they start at sen #1 and go down the entire list every time there is a new system bid ?

PS..........I understand how the staffing levels work , I just don't understand the need for them.

A reasonable person might think that ... but that takes both long term planning and someone in Flight Ops having the authority to hire when they're short handed. It would also take someone who could figure out when folks will be turning 65 (3rd grade math?) so they could plan accordingly.

That's not how it works around here. If you think you have a better idea or could do it better ... trust me when I tell you that Management doesn't want your input, sadly they're not even the slightest bit interested.

It's a funny way to run a multi-billion dollar Corporation? Many Fortune 100 Companies encourage input and even reward good ideas with bonuses.

Is Corporate Management happy with their "Flight Ops Yes Men" that don't question authority? That would be disappointing!*?

Once upon a time this company valued their employees. These days, it's profit and stockholders return on investment that's important (and it would be nice if we could get the packages to the customers on time, we'll try to do it safely).

It's a shame ... with just a little bit of leadership and authority this could be a REALLY good job. It should be a really good job. Contract negotiations were disappointing. I once worked at an airline where we couldn't get anything done until we started flying around with the speed brakes extended. Fuel burn skyrocketed and, all of a sudden, Management wanted to "talk."

I've seen too many Management pilots that I thought were smart, forward looking thinkers. Maybe they would change (fix?) things? It's never happened. I hope it does one day ...

MM


:eek:

I see by the 1-29-2016 message from the NC that section 24 ( filling of vacancies ) is "up in the air". Seems like this is a pretty important section to most pilots. Could this not be handled manually until automation is settled ? On the other hand , maybe everyone likes the old method better and are not in a hurry to implement the new section 24 ???

Gosh, I'm surprised the company didn't propose this us sooner, then. :rolleyes:

The Western Airlines post that TonyC shared is the proverbial "putting lipstick on a pig" IMHO....

Is Western having a bid? After Braniff shutdown I've been an FE on the 737 in LAX for a while. The 10 panel in SLC is going junior but want a right seat. We just parked the 707/720s so the flush bid will be massive. God, I hope we merge with Delta someday!

Wouldn't that merger be something? Probably go DOH. If not, your merger committee can always take it to arbitration. They know that, right?:rolleyes:

Are you hatin' on Western GLOBAL specifically, or MD-11s in general?

I'll bet Western Global has some numbers to back up their claims. What do you have?



Have you noticed the new fleet of ULDs (cans) around Memphis? All those shiny new aluminum boxes were acquired specifically for the B-767. They're AADs, and they conform perfectly to the upper deck of the B-767.

The MD-11 uses AMJs. Except for one corner, they're a big cube. On the MD-11, they leave room along the side to walk from the aft to the front and back, and they leave room on the top for a fire suppression system.

The AADs leave about 4 inches around the contours -- not enough room for anything.

And here's the thing. While the AMJs hold about 590.3 cubic feet of freight, the smaller AADs only hold about 502 cubic feet. Since we usually bulk out before we hit weight limits, that's a significant loss of capability. And it doesn't end on the main deck.

The MD-11 carries half-width ULDs, LD3s, which carry about 159 cubic feet of freight, and full width LD6s, which carry about 316 cubic feet of freight. The B-767 carries LD2s and LD8s, which carry about 120 and 243 cubic feet of freight respectively. Every can on the B-767 carries less than the corresponding can on the MD-11.

How efficient are two engines if you're leaving freight on the ramp?


Take a look at FedEx's Charter Website -- they don't even list the B-767 as a player. FedEx Express Container Guide





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Its being discussed on the Majors thread already.:)

[QUOTE=TonyC;2060237]Are you hatin' on Western GLOBAL specifically, or MD-11s in general?

I'll bet Western Global has some numbers to back up their claims. What do you have?



Have you noticed the new fleet of ULDs (cans) around Memphis? All those shiny new aluminum boxes were acquired specifically for the B-767. They're AADs, and they conform perfectly to the upper deck of the B-767.

OMG, FedEx bought the wrong cans!:) So are you saying what?

[QUOTE=Waldorf;2060240]He hates these cans!!!

[QUOTE=Hawk 285;2060267]TonyC heard that the cans were YES voters, I'm guessing.

I bet those new cans flew draft.

Only if they checked in 18 hours earlier.

My mistake, I guess I packed too much information into one post. I guess I should have just repeated a tired cliché instead.






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