Hey mainline pilots, coming soon to an airline near you... "regional" 757's

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

On the news up in Canada today... http://www.news1130.com/article/print/42139

Jazz Air to add Boeing 757s to fleet
Will operate flights to sun destinations

* Russ Byth
* 2010/04/05

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - With the demise of Skyservice Airlines last week, Sunquest Vacations has lined up another carrier to take vacationers to the sun this coming winter. Thomas Cook Canada and Jazz Air have signed a flight services agreement Jazz to operate flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America on behalf of Thomas Cook's tour operator Sunquest.

Jazz will operate a fleet of up to 11 Boeing 757 jets from gateways across Canada and will be branded as Thomas Cook Airlines starting next January.

Many of you are probably thinking "so?"

Well...

This is Air Canada Jazz...



This is a Boeing 757...



Guard your scope clause with your life, a regional airline has crossed the line previously uncrossed.

[LLStarks]

1. I don't get it. Please explain. nt

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. It is about outsourcing,

Airlines have long outsourced their regional flying to small regional airlines, a regional airline in Canada just picked up what is traditionally mainline flying with large airplanes.

It is a line previously uncrossed anywhere and if mainline pilots in the US bend on their scope clause (which limits the types of flying that can be outsourced) which is something they have been long pressured to do this WILL happen here.

[Ex Lurker]

3. what are the implications of this? n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. It will be used to pressure pilots into giving up more mainline flying

to regional airlines,

[LLStarks]

4. I don't understand where 757s factor. Would this be like Southwest suddenly switching from 737s? nt

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. It is a regional airline flying mainline aircraft

It would be like Continental taking a bunch of their mainline jets and letting the clowns who flew a Q400 into the side of a house in Buffalo fly those too instead of their own pilots.

[yodoobo]

10. umm ok.

But why would the guys who fly regional s automatically be inferior?

I know a little about flying and used to fly some smallcraft myself 20 some odd years ago.


It seems to me that new pilots would receive training, checkout and certification just like any other crew.

I want to support whatever it is your getting at..except that its coming across as turf protection in an "us" vs "them" when really "us" and "them" are all just pilots trying to earn a living.

help us out a little here to understand.

[regnaD kciN]

9. But does that really apply to charter services...?

As I read the story, Jazz is only picking up (probably leasing) these aircraft to provide transportation for Thomas Cook vacation charters when the original airline folded.

I'm not sure if this "outsourcing" applies to anything other than charters.

[yodoobo]

7. I like bigger aircraft. I really dislike the trend of regionals

especially when airlines are starting to use the regional airlines for 900 miles routes that used to be served only by bigger planes.

So I guess I don't get it.

Why is this bad and why should I be upset?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

8. Do you want the guy flying the regional jet flying the 757?

[yodoobo]

11. why not?

I'm not naive enough to believe that they are just going to pull guy off a turboprop today and throw him behind the yoke of a 757 tomorrow.

We both know there is training and type certification involved.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

14. training and type certification don't equal skill or experience

and the regional airline industry would do just that in a heartbeat.

[Sherman A1]

12. Not surprising at all

And Not a good thing. The regionals just are not up to this, but cutting costs is always on the mind of those in the office counting the beans.

[Skittles]

13. do you have a link for this?

thanks