What's Wrong With PDT?
 

Hey everyone,
Just curious what's happened at PDT. They have gone from being one of the "best regional/commuter" airlines back in the 90's early 2000's to one of the crappiest (work rules, equipment, etc...) I am curious for those "in the know", what went wrong? Did management screw it all up? Did USAIR give them the shaft? It doesn't appear PDT has gotten any new flying or routes for years. Why didn't they get the Q400s (instead of Colgan?). I know.. lots of questions.. just curious.

It looks like they might not even be around in 2 years. I think this sucks because the Dash is a great plane and a true commuter. Just wanted to get some "inside knowledge/thoughts" from those who might know. Thanks!

I'm not positive, but I think I read somewhere that the reason they didn't get the Q400s was because of a scope clause. I agree with you about the Dash. It seems to be like it's a guaranteed money-maker (altho maybe I'm off on this....feel free to correct me if I"m wrong there).

I had another question I wanted to add to this. Could the problems at PDT be linked to the new management at USAir? I know the old management sucked ba!!s, but maybe they treated PDT better than the new management? Or maybe the lack of experience of the new USAir management in the regional business is causing the problems?

Good questions, though. I was wondering the same things.

The "new" USAir management (ie AWA) used to operate their own dash-8's. Also they have a long-standing regional feed agreement with mesa, so they are not really more or less experienced than other major airlines re. regional operations.

That's what I figured...I thought maybe the wholly owned aspect might make a difference, but I suppose not. I actually didn't know they used to operate their own Dashes. Thanks.

Its called stagnation. If you aren't growing, you're shrinking.

While PDTs work rules did take some hits during the bankruptcies, they still have pretty decent work rules.

But why are they not growing? Every other regional seems to be growing like crazy. Are they not bidding on the new flying? Is USAIR keeping them from growing? I hate to see MESA grow when PDT is a true regiona/commuter. Just wandering.

Yes, US Airways management holds the purse strings, as well as the control of who flies what trips in the express system. Furthermore, the mainline pilots' contract does not allow any airplanes of the Q400's capacity to go just anywhere.

Back when Bombardier wanted to give ALG and PDT Q400s for 100 lease rates (at least that's what we heard) to keep their production plants in business, US Airways (crystal city old US Air then) snubbed their noses at the idea since we were getting out of the turboprop business by 2008 at that stage. The traveling public did not like props, and cute little jets were the future and only way to compete with the other carriers. So there we were, poised to be so far behind the times that we were ahead of the game, could have put in a big order for Q400s, already had dash 8 programs in place, and the mainline pilots were still in a giving mood. US Airways blew the opportunity to snatch up Q400s and have a nice big fleet of modern turboprop efficiency, which is now what everyone seems to want.

The chances of mainline ALPA releasing the scope right now while they are trying to negotiate out of concessions from bankruptcies are slim to none. The chances of US Airways getting their foot in the door in the line for orders is slim.

So here PDT sits, shrinking, dying, with nothing good to offer their pilots, no one wants to stay. Management (specifically the training dept) blames the pilots' union for not having Q400s, since they balked when the idea was proposed of adding them to the training program and having a 4th set of limitations to memorize. Management states that they are scouring the earth trying to find dash 8s to add to the fleet, since US Airways wants them to do a lot more flying than they can handle. Their excuse for not turning any up is that they are not for lease at what they feel is a reasonable amount. They want to find creampuff airplanes for next to nothing, like they used to when no one wanted turboprops. Apparently no one involved in this process took high school economics, so they don't understand supply and demand, since everyone wants turboprops as fuel prices climb, you have to pay the going rate and won't find any really cheap deals. They own something like 36 100s, lease 12 300s and a handful of 100s. When those leases run out and those airplanes are expected to command more money, PDT will not renew the leases for the going rate, just like they wouldn't with the 200s. Here they are locked in a spiral and I don't know if US Airways cares, it's probably easiest to just let PDT run itself into the ground and milk it for all it's worth.

Who gets their flying? We (Colgan) can't handle it.

DMEArc... my guess is MESA.