RockBottom

NWA can't fully staff flights, pilots union says

Some flights have been canceled because of a shortage of pilots, the union said. Northwest declined to comment.

Liz Fedor, Star Tribune

Swimming upstream

Northwest Airlines has been canceling some of its flights because of a pilot staffing problem, the pilots union said Friday.

Neither the union nor the airline specified the number of DC-9 flights that have been canceled. Those domestic flights are the focus of the problem.

The cancellations come at a time when about 700 Northwest pilots are still on furloughs, and the airline flew 5.6 percent fewer seat-miles during September, compared with a year ago.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said Friday that "unwise management decisions to furlough the last group [of pilots] in January" contributed to the shortage of pilots.

In a message to its members, the Northwest pilots union also said that management waited too long to recall pilots. It reported that the company has less flexibility in scheduling pilots because it decided to "reduce the number of surplus pilots normally carried above the staffing formula minimum."

Northwest declined Friday to comment on the staffing problem.

"We expect management to move quickly to address these staffing issues," the union leadership told its members.

In August, the Northwest pilots union was told that the airline intended to recall 40 to 50 pilots this year. There are approximately 4,700 pilots currently flying for the carrier.

Northwest owns 105 DC-9s, and they constitute about a fifth of its fleet.

The pilots said the airline is weighing its flying plans for 2007, which may include an expansion of DC-9 routes, and also is examining the role of Pinnacle Airlines in the flying mix.

Wakefield Gordon, chairman of the Pinnacle pilots union, said Friday that there are about 1,200 pilots at his airline, which is operating 124 regional jets for Northwest. After its bankruptcy filing, Northwest removed 15 planes from Pinnacle's fleet. "During this whole period, we haven't furloughed one pilot," Gordon said.

Also Friday, Northwest said that it will resume talks with the Association of Flight Attendants during the week of Oct. 15. The National Mediation Board will convene the two parties, and the meetings will begin one week later than originally planned.

crewdawg52

Approx 40 - 50 DC-9 flights cnx last month due to lack of pilots.

Gordon C

Do your pilots volunteer much for extra flying with pilots out on the street, or are the lines so jam packed that this isn't even possible?

Thx.

ChrisH

I work at NWA in customer service/ramp. We have had numerous flights cancelled, due to "crew shortages", over the past few weeks, where I work.

Blackhawk

No, they aren't volunteering. Why fly more for less?
Don't know if it is true, but the latest I heard is that NWA has to call 7 furoughs to get one to come back.

crewdawg52

NWA recently sent out approx 120 recall notices to get a training class of 25 to start sosmetime in early NOV.

Eric Stratton

how many of those are permanently bypassing or just waiting until they have to come back?

B757200ER

How many people WANT to go back and fly A319/DC9 at new rates with minimal benefits?

Just curious. I wonder how bad the job is now, from what it was when people left.

ATPFlyer

Yes, the recalls are out and people for not coming back. They seem to be finding out that NWA is not worth their time and energy. Its a flying position that S%cks. Company is run by a poor Mgn. team. and outlook is uncertain. If they've been off the line, they realize there is Life after NWA and could do better elsewhere. Each person has there reasons not to come back. I wish them well. Moral is at all time LOW, All you hear about is how this New contract has chewed up a good job, spit it out and now your stuck with low pay, poor work rules ect...and ALPA claiming we saved your jobs!!Its a very POOR Job at best. Alot of tension, poor moral,Alot complaining, but we still seem to fly along, company making money, and no light at the end of the tunnel for those of us that are just getting by and flying for a paycheck.

Airbus_Driver

I received my recall about 3 weeks ago and promptly bypassed it. NWA management has never, in its history, understood the concept of "cultivating relationships" among its employees or business partners. It is one the most incompetent organizations in this matter.

The MEC has created class warfare by freezing the define pension and having junior pilots "subsidize" it through reduced 401k contributions (as compared to UAL, US Airways and Delta) and receive only the PBGC minimum. Yet, senior pilots retain most of their benefit plus gain in an increase in 401k contributions. Work rules for wide body pilots are also far less drastic than narrow body pilots. Any premium pay (over 80 hours) was eliminated and even if I was crazy enough to fly over 85 hours I do not get paid for it. The extra goes into a ridiculous bank which I never was able to withdrawal from in 8 years! I had 14 days of vacation due me every year but I only get 11 days. The other 3 are assigned to me at random. What sane person agrees to rules such as these?

At JetBlue I am paid a premium over 70hrs, if I am nuts, I can fly 90 plus hours (like many do) and be compensated well. On reserve, I actually get released if they don't need me and are only put on call for 14 hours unlike NWA which is 16. NWA called me on every single day off to fly up until the day I was furloughed.

JetBlue is not without its problems but the scheduling, atmosphere and treatment among its employees is light years ahead of NWA.