n9810f

I think Delta is capped on 76 seat flying per the pilots contract, so that is highly unlikely.

And if there is a little room for more 76 seaters, that will be squeezed even more this fall when DL retires the remaining DC-9-30's and -40's and the mainline fleet numbers drop (until the used MD-90's come on-line over the next year or so).

texaspilot76

Simple. Mesa liquidates, Airways acquires the 900's and puts them at PSA. Mesa pilots come with the airplane to keep service uninterrupted. During the transition of training PSA pilots for upgrade, Mesa pilots would be given the option to stay at PSA with new hire seniority.

FlyingNasaForm

Sounds good, however you have forgotten one very important thing. This could never happen because...

wait for it....

NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AT PSA.

CrippleHawk

I remember vaguely when I was at PSA that the pilots wanted a Payrate for the 900s. Not blended rate that they have currently. I could be wrong though.

rickair7777

To clarify, there are AIRLINES which will fly the 900's for less than MAG...they currently have a lucrative contract which is not going to be repeated in this climate.

There are few, if any, pilot groups who fly the airplanes for less overall compensation than MAG alpa.

Actually there would NOT be a need for a successor to acquire 900's overnight...if LCC wanted to, they could cover the flying with other assets while another company ramps up. These could be mainline assets, or even boneyard CRJ 200's as an interim measure.

Control of those 900's is about the only ace OJ has left, but even that is not a guarantee...just depends on how badly DP wants to ditch them, and what kind of deal he can make with someone else.

If DP and the successor regional were willing to take a chance, they might go with the assumption that MAG will liquidate (after termination of the LCC contract) and they can then pick up some or all of the 38 and turn them around back into service within six months or so. If that fails they would have to go with 200's and phase in new 900's as they come off the assembly line.

Unfortunately, the best way to entice LCC is for MAG pilots to fly the 900's for ridiculously low rates...enough to undercut other pilot groups AND make up for mesa's in-efficiencies due to gross mis-management. $12 FO and $24 CA should do it (ultra-senior senior PHX CA's get $90 of course).

G-Dog

Yeah, can you name an airline that did this recently and the overall perception was terrible? Even the CEO of the regional admitted it was a disaster. I will give you a hint: CAL was one of the players.

Good idea on paper, but rough to put into action.

rickair7777

Like I said, a risky idea. Or OJ might make a deal with the devil...sell the 900's to help stock up his parachute fund.

PSACFI

I'm sure he prefer chartering a G-V rather than a G-IV to Brazil when he flees the authorities with a suitcase of cash. That extra money for the jet upgrade has to come from somewhere.....

eaglefly

It would seem to me the "cost" of a carrier providing feed is more then direct operating costs, like employee salaries. I would think that even if Mesa could successfully represent they could undercut the next least expensive competitor by X%, a major carrier would also have to consider logistics, current presence on property and the degree and future performance, reliability, reputation and intangibles based on past history.

Considering all that, I see little in Mesa's long term favor with either U or UAL and since DAL wouldn't hire them in the future to carry checked baggage to the curb and AMR has most assuredly seen enough (unless they've been on Fiji for the last 15 years), what has Mesa got to offer in the future that overshadows the dozen other carriers who will be jockeying for survival themselves ?

The DAL verdict was just another roadsign on what is an obvious direction for this company. Mesa employees would be best to plan accordingly as events could occur quicker then assumed.

rickair7777

That makes no sense whatsoever...

Per FAR 121, PSA would have to at least run the mesa pilots through an abbreviated company training program. If they wanted continuity of service they would have to buy the mesa 121 certificate.

That sounds an awful lot like a merger...you could not legally staple the mag pilot group.

Also I think mag has a successor clause...if PSA acquired mesa, PSA would be bound by mag alpa's contract (unless it was sold in Ch.7).

There aren't too many junior pilots left at mesa...I think YOU would be the one getting stapled.