USAir's 190's
 

Whats the plan with the 190's over there? 15 seems like a low number to have, and they shed some a few years back. Do they plan to keep those, get more, or scrap the idea as a whole?

I don't think Airways plans to acquire any more E-Jets. The order book for the next 8 years is nothing but Airbus A320, A330 and A350. Besides, the E-Jets are not protected in the minimum fleet count section of the transition agreement for the US/AWA merger. No reason to spend the money to grow the E-Jet fleet when the limited funds they do have in today's economic climate are already tied up with keeping non E-Jet mainline aircraft fleet numbers at the minimum levels that are specified in the agreement.

As far as keeping the 15 E190s they have now, I think that will be the plan for the next couple of years. They are the entry aircraft for the new-hires to be placed in until their seat lock expires. The pilot pay rates are horribly low, so the labor costs keep the overall seat mile costs competitive to the costs of a more efficient A320 that moves 150% more seats. And with the recent operating profit for 2010, Airways cash position isn't hurting as much right now as they were a few years ago when they sold 10 of the E190s to RAH. So there doesn't seem to be an immediate need to sell the 15 remaining E190s.

Looking towards the future, I wouldn't be surprised if they scrapped the whole E190 idea sometime after 2013. With the age 65 retirements creating vacancies in the larger equipment at a rapid pace, the training department may be forced to devote all of their efforts into keeping both of the pilot seats on the Airbus equipment filled with qualified people. With the E190 fleet such a low number, there are only about 100 pilots per seat that are currently on the aircraft. With the age 65 retirements at around 200 pilots per year, any FO who would think about bidding E190 CA could simply wait 6 months and hold a better paying A320 CA slot. Not to mention the fact that if they keep the new-hires seat locked into the E190, they will eventually have to place new-hires directly into the A320 as well, because there won't be enough E190 FO's who have reached the end of their seat lock who would be eligible to transition to the A320.

Finally, I would hope by 2013 that the pilot union has made significant progress on a new single carrier working agreement. The current E190 rates increase by only 2% in 2012, and another 2% in 2014. If a new contract substancially raises the pay rate on the E190 to where it should be (jetBlue or higher), then maybe management won't find the aircraft to be cost effective enough to remain in the mainline US Airways fleet going forward.

Any word on hiring over there? My buddy keeps saying soon.

Would anyone be able to tell me where US Airway's dispatchers are based?

Operations Control Center (OCC) is near the PIT airport in Moon Township, PA. New facility built a few years after the merger.

Trent, are you US, if so which airplane?

Pretty good summary by Trent, except that there will be no new contract for an indefinite period while USAPA scrambles to come up with a way around the arbitrated seniority list.

Mike,

Notice that I said "the pilot union" and not U$@P@. I can't utter that name and still kiss my mother with a mouth like that.

I saw the billboard that is right by the runway 23 threshold in CLT had some sort of pilot message on it. I assume it is USAPA. All I could read was "Turbulence Ahead." Anyone know what else it says?