Bar;
Well stated, and as we have discussed, these are the unintended consequences of not understanding the effects ten plus years after our actions.

Unity with regional MEC's will pay a much larger role if my worst case comes to fruition.

That said, there are a few things we can do to stop this. One thing is that with these JV's we start writing language for future possibilities. For example, Skyteam is not an airline, but we should write clauses in to our Section One and JV agreements that state that if the alliance becomes an airline or any other entity than the current entity as it is understood in the body of said agreement, minimum levels of flying will be performed by us.

This possibility, is one glaring reason as to why we need to get our Unity house in order. (Both internationally and with our regional lift. That is not to say that these guys have leverage against us, but whomever the lowest bidder to perform the flying under this situation is, becomes the largest operator by default.) In the end this is outsourcing at is finest.

Just looking over a few hills and this is something I see us needed to deal with with current agreements and future JV's. We can stop this, we just need to put the language in the agreements now.

Hence my reason that I am bringing this up. We need to prepare for this with the language we craft today.

BTW, remote aircraft work until someone in a city gets killed by one. A cargo jet landing in a neighborhood is a great example of why this will not fly. We just do not have the stomach for that sort of thing to happen in America.

We won't see it but our kids might and our grandkids will. They may not even remember what abpilot is.

Just what I was thinking, Sat.

Almost no US flagged ships anymore, whether it's a cruise line or something hauling rubber dog poop. What's gonna happen if we need another massive sealift like back in the early forties?

And get in your time machine and ask a longshoreman in 1948 if it could happen. Probably give you an answer similar to an airline pilot in 2010. "People won't set foot on something registered in Liberia!" Riiiiight.

Doesn't seem like it's much of a stretch at all:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../7/1657730.jpg

Welcome Aboard Skyteam Flight 34, by KLM

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../4/1650441.jpg

Welcome Aboard Skyteam Flight 121 by Delta Air Lines, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../1/1528166.jpg

Bienvenidos a bordo del vuelo Skyteam 45 por Aeroméxico, que pronto se Aeroméxico-Delta-República frontera de Alaska

And who said scope was just for regional jets?

A code share with who? How can you have a code with no certificate? Doesn't anyone see the extreme implications of this?

A code is not attached to a "Operating" Certificate

As I understand it ICAO doles out airline codes not the federal government. Tickets are still being sold on the YX code. They have a web site, tickets, collect all of the fees etc, but just do not have airplanes and employees that are employed.

And management got away with it, in defiance of contract language. So who's next?

Midwest pilots tried to warn the Delta MEC when Delta became 49% owners of Midwest. The way I understand it, the Delta MEC wouldn't even talk to us, and then made a special carve-out for Midwest that got moved to code share (code share: the next battleground)? So is Delta next? Good luck backpeddling while pleading with the arbitrator.

I hope I'm wrong, but the door is absolutely open for any airline to become a virtual airline. I'm glad its being discussed, although it's frustrating to see that some people are still in denial.

you guys are making mountains out of molehills. the great pilot shortage since the mid 2000's will continue on for decades and trump any negatives that could come from this theory.

Can you name one other airlne that has an ICAO airline code without an operating certificate?