757 Reconfiguration Delayed

[N628AU]

Mark,

Another effort that will fail on the company's behalf. Those planes getting parked are not undergoing maintenance, no one is working them. Nothing is stopping the company from having the work done except it's own misguided belief that it can win this battle. They are also not active spares, since they are not on property and cannot fly revenue due to being timed out.

Also, this is not a force manure event. This is not some outside force that caused this to happen. The company has the power to rectify this situation immediately, they just need to come to terms with the CBA they signed.

I had an AGC tell me yesterday the company also hired an outside party in Alabama to work seats. Has anyone else heard of this? What is the current status of the CLT Seat Shop?

 

[phllax]

I was talking with the gate agent in CLT tonight, who has a husband who is a mechanic at the CLT hangar. She told me they completed the reconfiguration on 1 plane. The work was stopped with yesterday's court ruling. They are currently working on a 330 in CLT and believe they'll start working onthe baby busses shortly. BTW, the CLt hangar was full today with the 330, 2 737's that were backed in, and probably 2 321's that had been backed in.

 

[MarkMyWords]

phllax

No 757's have been reconfigured.

A330 checks are still being done int CLT but it is not the S type check. These same lesser checks are being done on the baby busses inhouse also. I believe it is called the C check....but not sure. The dispute is over the S check which is the real heavy check.

N628AU -

I agree that the total fleet count has fallen below the 279 with the 2 parked airplanes. What I am talking about is protecting the published schedule and maintaining block hours. The paint tracks have been haulted (at one time there were at least 3 planes in paint) and the reconfiguration of the 757's will not take place until the AB work is accomplished. This allows for 4 airplanes to be returned to the line to run the revenue flights.

Please don't forget that there are still A319's in GYR that could be brought back into service. I do know that there were plans to bring 2 - 319's and the 1 - 320 back by February.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

I was talking with the gate agent in CLT tonight, who has a husband who is a mechanic at the CLT hangar. She told me they completed the reconfiguration on 1 plane. The work was stopped with yesterday's court ruling. They are currently working on a 330 in CLT and believe they'll start working onthe baby busses shortly. BTW, the CLt hangar was full today with the 330, 2 737's that were backed in, and probably 2 321's that had been backed in.

Not exactly accurate info.

CLT Heavy currently has 1 A330-300 in Check..and a seat re-configuration in progress...Acft 673

We are also working 3 B757'-200's...and 1 A319 is a drop in and nosed into bay 4.

We have no on-going work on any A321's....unless the line hangar has one for RON work?...but that is a seperate situation from Heavy.

I have verified this with my own eyes tonight

 

[T-bone]

I had an AGC tell me yesterday the company also hired an outside party in Alabama to work seats. Has anyone else heard of this? What is the current status of the CLT Seat Shop?

The Airbus that is being worked in Ala. has had it's seats farmed to a 4th party. I believe that is what the AGC was mentioning.

 

[T-bone]

I agree that the total fleet count has fallen below the 279 with the 2 parked airplanes. What I am talking about is protecting the published schedule and maintaining block hours. The paint tracks have been haulted (at one time there were at least 3 planes in paint) and the reconfiguration of the 757's will not take place until the AB work is accomplished. This allows for 4 airplanes to be returned to the line to run the revenue flights.

The paint operation was shut down by the FAA after they walked in on a A/C in work. They found that the third party paint shop had gouged the skin at the lap joints on on this 737 with razor knives during stripping. The A/C is currently in PIT heavy for 9 large skin repairs due to this, and the FAA is probably investigating some of the other A/Cs worked at this facility. :down:

 

[N628AU]

Please don't forget that there are still A319's in GYR that could be brought back into service. I do know that there were plans to bring 2 - 319's and the 1 - 320 back by February.

Are you referring to the aircraft that were parked as result of their leases being rejected while in BK? I had heard somewhere that these aircraft could not contractually return to the fleet after having check work done unless they were operated by another carrier before they returned to US?

 

[delldude]

I had an AGC tell me yesterday the company also hired an outside party in Alabama to work seats. Has anyone else heard of this? What is the current status of the CLT Seat Shop?

The Airbus that is being worked in Ala. has had it's seats farmed to a 4th party. I believe that is what the AGC was mentioning.

most likely part of the 's' check package.

 

[MarkMyWords]

N628AU -

Yes I am referring to the aircraft that had leases rejected during bankruptcy. I have heard that we have renegotiated the leases on at least 3 of them and they were going to be brought back into the schedule in Feb. These aircraft have not had any heavy work done on them. They are not scheduled for heavy checks until late 2005 or later.

T-Bone -

I have not heard anything about an FAA shut down of the paint track, but if your scenario is correct, that would explain the rash of lap joint cracks found recently. My sources told me that the paint tracks were shut down to return aircraft to the active fleet to maintain block hours.

 

[ISP]

Why is 673 having a seat reconfiguration? Are they finally removing the F seats on the 330?

Also, from what I read US is currently below the legal 279 fleet count, but I also gather that painting, re-config, etc. has stopped in order to keep block time. Does this mean that there ARE actually spare planes, or is the active fleet indeed below 279? If in fact it is, why aren't labor groups sueing the airline for violations?

 

[T-bone]

Also, from what I read US is currently below the legal 279 fleet count, but I also gather that painting, re-config, etc. has stopped in order to keep block time. Does this mean that there ARE actually spare planes, or is the active fleet indeed below 279? If in fact it is, why aren't labor groups sueing the airline for violations?

What the contracts stipulate is 279 A/C, That means A/C in service, spares and A/c down for maintenance. Not 279 in operation at once.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

Also, from what I read US is currently below the legal 279 fleet count, but I also gather that painting, re-config, etc. has stopped in order to keep block time. Does this mean that there ARE actually spare planes, or is the active fleet indeed below 279? If in fact it is, why aren't labor groups sueing the airline for violations?

What the contracts stipulate is 279 A/C, That means A/C in service, spares and A/c down for maintenance. Not 279 in operation at once.

A moment of clarification here. The Acft sitting in AZ and Al. are outside the limits set.

With 279 being the magic number...here is what we have in reality.

700 is in Mobile undergoing an S-Check by court order...that's gotta be OK for all concerned...we honor the binding rule of the courts.

701 is in Mobile in "Storage"...this is not maintenance , not a spare , nor is it in service...hince we are at 278 by contract verbage.

702 is in GYR in "Storage" ..this is not maintenance , not a spare , nor is it in service...hince we are at 277 by contract verbage.

Tomorrow Acft 703 will arrive in CLT from BZE at 1820 ....it will then join the ranks of the null and void....with a likely trip to "Storage" in GYR in it's future. Again..this is not maintenance , not a spare , nor is it in service....we will then be at 276 by contract verbage.

This scenario will continue to play out...and play against the chances to accomplish the required work...and hince will hinder future profit making potential with any of these Acft.

Unless you cleary don't understand what's implied...or you choose to make your own rules as you go , such as Seigel shows he will.....expect some legal action or grievances to be filed in the not so distant future.