Heard through the grapevine that the head of Delta cargo was in Anchorage Wednesday and announced that the 74F main deck freighter operation would close September 1, 2009. Pax 742 operation would remain in MSP to service charter/mil flying. Can anyone that was there (or knows someone that was there) confirm or deny? Thanks.

 

Anderson put out similiar information about the 200's at the MEC meeting that just finished. The news on the 400's was not much better. With the turndown in the far east we are bleeding money there. The 200's leaving has basically been what Delta management has been saying since the merger. The earlier retirements of the 400 was new. Schedule looks like its moved up two years from the original 5 year timeline.

 

On the subject of ANC, the biggest reason for holding the base open has been the preservation of "use or lose landing slots, route authorities or country entries" the country entries into China most emphaticly. The reason for the rear guard action is that additional entries into China have been very scarce in the past, in other words difficult to obtain or close to impossible in some cases. Cargo used entries have proven to be convertable to passenger usage as long as it is the same certificate holder, that is they haven't so far been sellable from a Cargo carrier to a different carrrier who then converts them to passenger. Recently the drop in cargo volume coming out of China has caused the Chinese to rethink their "use or lose" philosophy, and according to one long term cargo manager UPS and FEDEX have an agreement now to cut back on some China ops without permanent loss of the affected China entries, and that NWA Cargo will be a participant in that agreement with China.That agreement will effectively negate the need for NWA Cargo to exist in that the China authorities-entries will be there when Delta wants to operate them with passengers.

 

I know its all business, but it's sad to the former "Northwest Orient" pull out of Alaska and pull down the 'Orient'.

It also seems like the days of passenger 74's are numbered, at least in the US, with both United and Delta looking to retire the 744 fleet.

 

Thanks for the kind words Sniper, I agree.

 

The real question is what will the replacement aircraft for the 400's be or will management replace them at all. They may feel they can get buy without any replacements. That will be a huge blow to all pilots former NWA or former DAL.

 

The new Embraer RJ747

 

The meeting did occur, but Sept 1 was not the date. They have to give a 6 month warning to close the base. The base will close by the end of the year, or SOC, whichever occurs first. They are not going to put the 200's on the DAL certificate.