Mesa Air says to fight Delta plan to quit contract

[777forever]

http://www.reuters.com/article/press...EN476120080402

Mesa Air says to fight Delta plan to quit contract


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mesa Air Group Inc (MESA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said it plans to contest Delta Air Lines Inc's (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) plan to terminate a contract with its Freedom Airlines Inc unit.
Phoenix-based Mesa said Delta notified it on March 28 of its intent to terminate a connection agreement with Freedom dated May 3, 2005.
It said Delta alleged that Freedom failed to complete a specified number of flights on ERJ-145 jets during three months of the six-month period ending in February. Mesa said the notice would allow Freedom to provide connection services to Delta while the airlines work out a "transition agreement."
Mesa said it intends to defends its rights under the contract. "Delta's effort to terminate the agreement will not be upheld in a court of law," Mesa Chief Executive Jonathan Ornstein said in a statement.
Gina Laughlin, a spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Delta, said the carrier decided to terminate the contract "due to operational performance. We expect the operational pulldown to be orderly and have minimal impact to our customers."
Freedom's connection agreement with Delta governing larger CRJ-900 jets is not affected, both carriers said.
Embraer (EMBR3.SA: Quote, Profile, Research) builds ERJ-145 jets, while Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) builds the CRJ-900 jets.
Delta on March 18 announced plans to cut 2,000 jobs and scale back flights, in the wake of rising fuel prices and a weakening economy. It said it plans to take 15 to 20 mainline aircraft and 20 to 25 regional jets temporarily out of service to reduce capacity.
Mesa said it operates 182 aircraft. Freedom operates mainly in the U.S. southeast, according to Mesa's Web site.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Gary Hill)

[wheelsup]

Yikes...Mesa sounds like it's imploding.

[777forever]

If Mesa fails to get this contract back, it will be an interesting time for them. Wonder how much it will cost them to train 300+ ERJ pilots for the CRJ, and how long it will take them to do it. I guess they'll have to join the "not hiring" crowd.

[SmitteyB]

Ironic isn't it?

JO complaining about a party not holding up their end of the contract.

[surreal1221]

Not surprised.

Hopefully this is the first stone that is falling from the Mesa foundation.

They drive a great airline out of business (Aloha), and now they're complaining about losing flying. . .

Shut up JO.

Anyway.

[PGT]

Looks like Mesa won't challenge it. I say it's a done deal.

Internal Mesa memo:
"We have terminated a portion of our Delta Connection operating agreement with Freedom Airlines because of operational performance of their 50-seat aircraft. The move is effective immediately. Our operating agreement with Freedom for its 14 76-seat aircraft remains intact."

[H46Bubba]

It was accidentally let out of the bag yesterday morning on Deltanet, but due to it being April 1st, they retracted the story till this morning. We all knew yesterday that Delta was kicking Freedom to the curb. It sucks for the Freedom crews, but JO had this coming for quite some time. At least they get to keep on flying the 900's, since it's under a different contract.

[dvtpilot]

From what I've heard the freedom side was much better staffed than the mesa side. Who knows. On the flip side, at least the JFK guys are safe for now.

Never thought the DL contract would be the first to go......figured it be UA. Ah well......one day at a time.

[Soul Brotha']

I never want anyone to lose their jobs. No matter how much some pilot groups feel about the Freedom guys/gals it stinks big time. Good luck to all those affected.

[777forever]

Originally Posted by Soul Brotha'

I never want anyone to lose their jobs. No matter how much some pilot groups feel about the Freedom guys/gals it stinks big time. Good luck to all those affected.

You don't mean literally lose their job right? Because all those Freedom guys are going to the CRJ. I've heard Mesa had severe staffing problems so this should fix it.

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by Soul Brotha'

I never want anyone to lose their jobs. No matter how much some pilot groups feel about the Freedom guys/gals it stinks big time. Good luck to all those affected.

Hmm. . .I can't quite say that just yet.

Not after the company has driven a staple of commercial transportation for Hawaii out of business.

I suppose I'm just not that nice.

[ClearedForOption]

Originally Posted by surreal1221

Hmm. . .I can't quite say that just yet.

Not after the company has driven a staple of commercial transportation for Hawaii out of business.

I suppose I'm just not that nice.

Not that fuel costs might have had anything to do with it also...

By the way - you know that Mesa Pilots also have lives, families, and career expectations too. And lest we forget that the MAG ALPA pilots took it on the chin and have been taking it on the chin for the last few years to stop the creation of a NON UNION ALTER EGO AIRLINE.

But, of course, "your regional is better than my regional." Just another excuse for some more whip-saw.

Don't blame the Mesa pilots. Sure, some may be acting immature today, but when people have been spitting on you for the last year for doing your job there might be a little resentful feelings out there on the islands. The pilot group is not making the business decisions, they are doing their jobs and flying the birds where they are told to.

[surreal1221]

Yeah, Mesa has always been viewed as one of the better regionals.



We all suck, but let us not forget that some of us just suck more than others. I don't blame the pilots, directly.

I do wonder why anyone would bother going and working at the company. Especially in the past two to three years. If people know the history, and know the ridiculous business plans of JO, then I have no one else to blame but those types of pilots who are facilitating JO's destructive path.

But of course - putting food on the table, taking care of their families, the usual sob stories we'll hear I'm sure.

Maybe one day I'll view MAG differently, but that won't happen until members of our profession stop putting up with JO's ########, and quit going to work for him.

[SmitteyB]

First off- no one wants people to lose their jobs. I don't know about anyone else, but I need my job.

Secondly- this isn't about fixing Mesa's staffing problems.

Think about this. They're going to have 20 RJs sitting in Delta colors doing nothing. With HUGE lease payments and no revenue. No one wants 50 seat RJs anymore. These airplanes are getting parked! Mesa signed a lease for these and therefore they could be stuck with these payments for a little while, depending on their lease language.

Mesa Air Group is going to keep bleeding cash.

Good luck to all their pilots.

Regional hiring is about to come to a screeching halt.

[BobDDuck]

Originally Posted by surreal1221

We all suck, but let us not forget that some of us just suck more than others. I don't blame the pilots, directly.

I do wonder why anyone would bother going and working at the company. Especially in the past two to three years. If people know the history, and know the ridiculous business plans of JO, then I have no one else to blame but those types of pilots who are facilitating JO's destructive path.

But of course - putting food on the table, taking care of their families, the usual sob stories we'll hear I'm sure.

Dude... And you call your self an ALPA supporter? You need to get the #### off your "soapbox", make sure you are 100% proficient in that nice new shiny airplane you are learning to fly and get involved at making YOUR company a better place to be.

THIS is the problem when the most vocal (and publicly experienced) supporters of a cause are militant.

I really don't know why I bother. Don't worry, I'm no where near taking my ball and going home, but a lot of the crap getting said in the past few months is just beyond belief.

[surreal1221]

Ethan, tell me what I'm saying is wrong.

I think it should be obviously clear that at the conclusion of my training I'll be doing everything in my power to make my company better.

I just don't think it's that bad of an issue to advise people to not pursue employment at certain companies. *shrug*

You have a PM as well.

[BobDDuck]

Most of this went to PM, but the public points are.

MAG is an ALPA pilot group.

The majority of the pilots there didn't know that MAG was a bad place to go to.

Their contract is the direct result of them securing some of the best scope language in the industry.

It's one thing to wish bad things on pilots who knowingly went to a company that was undercutting others (GoJets/Skybus etc) but it's a whole other thing to take shots a pilot group that has not directly gone after somebody's flying and rates.

Aloha was a doomed ship with or with out Go. They might of lasted a bit longer, but unless the industry turns around in the next month, they weren't going to make it.

[777forever]

Originally Posted by SmitteyB

First off- no one wants people to lose their jobs. I don't know about anyone else, but I need my job.

Secondly- this isn't about fixing Mesa's staffing problems.

Think about this. They're going to have 20 RJs sitting in Delta colors doing nothing. With HUGE lease payments and no revenue. No one wants 50 seat RJs anymore. These airplanes are getting parked! Mesa signed a lease for these and therefore they could be stuck with these payments for a little while, depending on their lease language.

Mesa Air Group is going to keep bleeding cash.

Good luck to all their pilots.

36 according to APC

Regional hiring is about to come to a screeching halt.

[SmitteyB]

I didn't know the JFK operation was terminated too!

Sorry!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Guys, Josh geez...

A member of mine on Gayviator is with Freedom, and just came here a few months ago to upgrade on the ERJ?

Suck for him...man, I gotta call him now!

[SpiraMirabilis]

If JO can get rid of the ERJs then it is just icing for him. He already wanted to draw down the 50 seat RJs. Send the ERJ crews to CRJ class and solve most of your staffing problems in one fell swoop. There are rumots that TSA will be taking some of the ERJ's off JO's hands.

[SpiraMirabilis]

Originally Posted by surreal1221

Hmm. . .I can't quite say that just yet.

Not after the company has driven a staple of commercial transportation for Hawaii out of business.

I suppose I'm just not that nice.

With all due respect Aloha had some serious problems prior to Mesa arriving in HI.

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by BobDDuck

THIS is the problem when the most vocal (and publicly experienced) supporters of a cause are militant.

I really don't know why I bother. Don't worry, I'm no where near taking my ball and going home, but a lot of the crap getting said in the past few months is just beyond belief.

x 1000

[WalterSobchak]

I feel bad for the people as a group, but the has to be accountability for where you choose to work. If your company is poorly run and close to the bottom in moral due to work rules and staffing it will only be a matter of time before it implodes. So don't go there. Its no different than saying do you want to play for the Devil Rays or the Yankees. This might actually help all the people who are there have a better place to work by putting more pilots into circulation and not having to hire to do it.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by WalterSobchak

I feel bad for the people as a group, but the has to be accountability for where you choose to work. If your company is poorly run and close to the bottom in moral due to work rules and staffing it will only be a matter of time before it implodes. So don't go there.

Due diligence, kids. Because once you're stuck there, you've got no one to blame but the man in the mirror.