UPS/Fedex Overflow/Charter
10-08-2008, 05:34 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Sep 2007
Posts: 279
UPS/Fedex Overflow/Charter
If this post belongs in the 135 section, I'm sure a helpful mod will be happy to move it for me.
I remember the heady days of 1997 when UPS would do 100-aircraft "lear launches" out of SDF. It's my understanding that they were severely short on aircraft and would have to charter to get their volume where it needed to be on time. Obviously, that's no longer the case and I know they have contracts with 135s (ameriflight, the shorts operator in WI, etc) to move some volume on a regular basis. But do these charter ops still happen on occassion? And if so, how does a company get on the "short list" to call when the need arises? Same question applies to Fedex or DHL.
I ask because with the end of check flying heaving in to view, I'm sure there are a number of operators looking for the next type of business.
I remember the heady days of 1997 when UPS would do 100-aircraft "lear launches" out of SDF. It's my understanding that they were severely short on aircraft and would have to charter to get their volume where it needed to be on time. Obviously, that's no longer the case and I know they have contracts with 135s (ameriflight, the shorts operator in WI, etc) to move some volume on a regular basis. But do these charter ops still happen on occassion? And if so, how does a company get on the "short list" to call when the need arises? Same question applies to Fedex or DHL.
I ask because with the end of check flying heaving in to view, I'm sure there are a number of operators looking for the next type of business.
10-08-2008, 06:02 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2005
Position: UPS 757/767 Capt ONT
Posts: 4,357
I think there has been a major refocus on the bottom line vs reliability at UPS.
I remember in 1987, I was flying an Aero Commander 500 out of Scottsbluff, NE for Corporate Air on a UPS subcontract. I broke one day and UPS flew a Lear in to take my 50 boxes to SDF to make the sort and not lose service. Nowadays, that would be laughable as it costs way to much (which I actually think is prudent). UPS will just tell the customer, "sorry, the plane broke, you don't have to pay for it" (and that's best case scenario).
It never made an sense from an economic standpoint to run the Lear launches. UPS just had "getting the boxes there" as a higher priority than "making money". I don't believe that to be the case, anymore.
So, to answer your question, I think there is very little, to no, "short call Lear charter ops", like the old days. We still have a huge feeder operation and I don't see that going away.
The Lear lauch was never about a lack of lift. It was about irregular ops and the overriding feeling UPS had that getting that box there was worth any price. They just don't look at it that way anymore.
I remember in 1987, I was flying an Aero Commander 500 out of Scottsbluff, NE for Corporate Air on a UPS subcontract. I broke one day and UPS flew a Lear in to take my 50 boxes to SDF to make the sort and not lose service. Nowadays, that would be laughable as it costs way to much (which I actually think is prudent). UPS will just tell the customer, "sorry, the plane broke, you don't have to pay for it" (and that's best case scenario).
It never made an sense from an economic standpoint to run the Lear launches. UPS just had "getting the boxes there" as a higher priority than "making money". I don't believe that to be the case, anymore.
So, to answer your question, I think there is very little, to no, "short call Lear charter ops", like the old days. We still have a huge feeder operation and I don't see that going away.
The Lear lauch was never about a lack of lift. It was about irregular ops and the overriding feeling UPS had that getting that box there was worth any price. They just don't look at it that way anymore.
10-09-2008, 08:15 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2005
Position: UPS 757/767 Capt ONT
Posts: 4,357
I'm going to say yes. We have always had hots at the hubs. SDF, RFD, PHL, CAE, MIA, ONT, DFW. In 97, I can't remember if we had MIA, but we had a hot in PDX for years and it wasn't a hub. We don't have that one anymore and we lost hot PHX a couple of years ago.
