United seeking to add 100-seat airplane
 

By Morgan Durrant, Corporate Communications

Bloomberg News reported Friday that United Airlines is seeking to secure the addition of a new 100-seat fleet type if pilots agree to a two-year contract extension in expedited bargaining.

Securing a pact would bring back some flying done by regional partners on less-efficient 50-seat regional jets, the article says, and would order 100-seat aircraft from either Bombardier Inc. or Embraer SA, the story says.

The piece also notes United has struggled to reach unified labor agreements since its 2010 merger with Continental Airlines, adding that a new agreement with pilots could allow focus on agreements with other workgroups.

For instance, United has not reached combined agreements with its flight attendants and aviation maintenance technicians five years after the merger and remain in mediated negotiations with the National Mediation Board.

In July, Delta pilots rejected a tentative agreement that would have brought at least 20 Embraer 190 aircraft and 40 additional 737-900ERs to the Delta mainline fleet.

How original. If you don't, you're going to lose airframes and cancel orders.

Why is this in the regional thread?

Because it affects scope, and therefore us.

No. They are in talks with legacy carriers to be operated by legacies and their pilots which would return flying back to legacies which would also be a relief valve for the regional pilot shortage as there is no shortage of legacy pilots or one for the forseeable future.

Because airframes and jobs might be going away?

Because more opportunities for jobs at mainline might open up?

Buying the 100 seaters to fly at mainline, allows them to increase the number of 76 seaters flown by the regionals, that's how it applies to regional pilots.

Looking at the CRJ1000 then....