Duct Mon

Even better, don’t come at all.

Aero1900

I've posted the actual delivery and lease return schedule on this site. I've explained how to find it, so you can see the numbers for your self. It's really not that difficult, just basic addition and subtraction.

The growth that the company has been talking about has happened. The airline grows in more ways than fleet numbers. When you replace a 319 with a 150 seats with a 321 with 230 seats, that's significant growth. When you operate 4 additional block hours per day per airplane, that's significant. Just not from your perspective.

The fleet only grows a small amount in 2018, about 6, due to a significant number of lease returns. In 2019 the lease returns go way down and the deliveries stay strong. 2019 is a big growth year. I'll go get the numbers again if I have to.

Aero1900

Block Hours Flown:

2013: 195,000
2014: 223,000
2015: 259,000
2016: 279,000
Consider that these numbers are being flown with larger airplanes.

Aircraft Delivery Schedule

2017: 17
2018: 16
2019: 18
2020: 18
2021: 13
134 more airplanes to follow, starting in 2021.

Aircraft lease returns:
2018: 13
2019: 2
2020: 3
2021: 1
2022: 4

Patternholder

Wow....that’s GREAT! How do you and the rest of the folks in the Chief Pilots office plan to hire enough to staff that growth?

Yabadaba

The best way to summarize the future of growth and contract status is that they both will change “sometime” in the future. We have no real clue when. Indigo knows the timeline but they will never share any accurate info with their beloved employees. If present fleet and contract aren’t better than where you are at, you should stay there. Big mistake expecting rapid growth or a new contract anytime soon.

Aero1900

I don't work in the CPO. However, I suspect the new contract will fix hiring issues. I understand your frustration, I am dying for a pay raise too. I'm just presenting information. I don't work in the CPO, I don't do interviews, I don't do career fairs. I work 70 to 75 hours and go home.

BlackhawkIP

Thanks Aero for taking the time again to post the numbers. I've seen your fleet growth numbers before but not the block hours expectations.

I hope for everyone's sake that contract negotiations don't drag on for years as they have thus far. I realize it's in Indigo's best interest to drag out the inevitable as it shows higher profit each quarter, which equals higher valuation for the company. It's strictly business.

When will it happen, who knows, that's anyone's guess.

NWSteeringArmer

No one gives a shiiit about that type of growth... some might argue that flying an extra 80 people around for free is the opposite of growth... we have more responsibility and no extra compensation... it’s growth for the company, sure but an extra 80 seats doesn’t put 10 people in an upgrade class... and yes they do utilize the airplanes more, but you may notice as that has happened our, schedules have gotten crappier and crappier... why are you talking about aircraft utilization and seat growth?? Who cares

Aero1900

Absolutely. I agree. I was responding to someone above who make a comment about how the company has promised growth, and they hadn't seen it. I was simply explaining that the growth the company keeps talking about isn't the kind that effects us much. A while back Biffle said that Frontier was going to grow 20% in Denver. He grew that 20% by adding larger airplanes and more seats to the planes. Growth in the eyes of the accounting dept, not the quality of life of the pilots.

I agree 100% that we should be compensated for the additional passengers we are carrying. A Frontier A321 holds more people that a United 767 and 787.

Frontier is the 2nd most profitable airline in the country. As we replace old A319s with new A320NEOs, our profit margins will rise higher. I guarantee you the company will grow by leaps and bounds. Its a decade long process though.

Duct Mon

So what is your source of information?