OP
USA320Pilot
Veteran
- May 18, 2003
- 8,175
- 1,539
- Thread Starter
- Thread starter
- #31
Light Years:
Light Years asked: "You think US Airways has no intention of adding 60 aircraft staffed by US Airways employees, but perhaps by other personnel. Right?"
Chip comments: Light Years, you're correct. The most logical way to increase ASMs to average down unit costs is to increase the current 279 aircraft fleet utilization. The current fleet is being flown at an average of 10.01 hours per day to comply with the pilot's contract. I believe, but I'm not sure, Southwest operates their aircraft about 13 hours per day.
If the company increases its current fleet utilization by 2 hours per aircraft per day, that would be a 20% increase in pilot productivity. Then if the company adds 60 aircraft during the next two years, that would be a 22% increase in the fleet count.
Thus, from a linear perspective you could say it would take over a 40% increase in pilot productivity to man a 339 mainline fleet. Moreover, that does not include retirements and attrition.
This would required the company to increase the pilot block hour to pay ratio from 55 to 85 hours to about 78 to 85 hours, which seems impossible. Therefore, I do not believe the company can add 60 mainline jets and fly it with the current headcount.
I do not want to comment on who could fly the proposed 60 new aircraft (if the arrive), but it appears to me it cannot all be done by current active US Airways pilots.
Respectfully,
Chip
Light Years asked: "You think US Airways has no intention of adding 60 aircraft staffed by US Airways employees, but perhaps by other personnel. Right?"
Chip comments: Light Years, you're correct. The most logical way to increase ASMs to average down unit costs is to increase the current 279 aircraft fleet utilization. The current fleet is being flown at an average of 10.01 hours per day to comply with the pilot's contract. I believe, but I'm not sure, Southwest operates their aircraft about 13 hours per day.
If the company increases its current fleet utilization by 2 hours per aircraft per day, that would be a 20% increase in pilot productivity. Then if the company adds 60 aircraft during the next two years, that would be a 22% increase in the fleet count.
Thus, from a linear perspective you could say it would take over a 40% increase in pilot productivity to man a 339 mainline fleet. Moreover, that does not include retirements and attrition.
This would required the company to increase the pilot block hour to pay ratio from 55 to 85 hours to about 78 to 85 hours, which seems impossible. Therefore, I do not believe the company can add 60 mainline jets and fly it with the current headcount.
I do not want to comment on who could fly the proposed 60 new aircraft (if the arrive), but it appears to me it cannot all be done by current active US Airways pilots.
Respectfully,
Chip