Fleet Plans

[BoeingBoy]

Per documents filed with the BK court, "old" US will be down to 221 Airbus/Boeing aircraft by the end of Feb 2006 - nothing really new there. What is new, contrary to what was reported on this forum a few days ago, is the minimum fleet prospects.

The minimum fleet agreement for the "old" US side is as outlined in LOA 93 with a twist. During the first year following consummation of the merger agreement, the minimum fleet will be 80% of that listed by month in attachment B of the transition agreement (that's the twist).

One year after consummation of the merger agreement, a new minimum fleet count for "old" US will be establish as the lesser of 279 or 10% less than the total number of Boeing/Airbus aircraft operated by "old" US at that time (that's from LOA 93)

For the AWA side, a new minimum fleet count will be established one year after consummation of the merger, being the lesser of 140 or 10% less than the total number of Boeing/Airbus aircraft operated by AWA at that time (I have no idea what their contract called for before the transition agreement).

Combining these, the overall minimum fleet will be the lesser of 419 or 10% less than operated one year after consumation of the merger agreement.

Without going into the monthly numbers, the one year point looks like this according to the fleet plan filed with the BK court:

"Old" US side - 221 (no change after Feb 2006)
AWA side - 150 (net gain of 7 from Aug 31 2005)
Total operated at one year point - 371
Total minimum fleet commitment at one year point - 334 ("old" US - 199, AWA - 135)

If you want to look at the monthly numbers, the ALPA transition agreement with the fleet plan is here.

Jim

 

[USA320Pilot]

Another interesting point to the Transition Agreement is that "The Airline Parties intend to consolidate operations under the US Airways operating certificate."

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[BoeingBoy]

You forgot the next sentence:

"The Airline Parties intend to consolidate operations under the US Airways
operating certificate and as such, should the Airline Parties acquire aircraft
in excess of the number identified for that airline in Attachment B, such
aircraft will operate as part of US Airways. However, in the event the
decision is made to consolidate operations under the America West
operating certificate, such additional aircraft will operate as part of
America West."

Jim

 

[Heinrich]

You forgot the next sentence:

"The Airline Parties intend to consolidate operations under the US Airways
operating certificate and as such, should the Airline Parties acquire aircraft
in excess of the number identified for that airline in Attachment B, such
aircraft will operate as part of US Airways. However, in the event the
decision is made to consolidate operations under the America West
operating certificate, such additional aircraft will operate as part of
America West."

Jim

[post="302388"][/post]​

Perhaps with NW & Delta in bankruptcy, as they begin the same process of downsizing and shedding routes, the new US could add some cheap planes and take up some of the slack.

 

[etops1]

i just read somewhere that the emb 190 will be flown in house . is that counted in as part of the fleet too?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Having had some time to go thru the fleet plan attached to the ALPA transition agreement, here's the month to month outlook for the "old" US fleet thru Feb. After that the only changes listed begin in 2009 with lease expirations (some of which GE can accelerate to 2007/2008) and Airbus deliveries.

As of Aug 31, 2005, US had:

- 59 A319's
- 24 A320's
- 28 A321's
- 9 A330's
- 59 B737-300's
- 43 B737-400's
- 31 B757's
- 10 B767's
======
Total - 263 Aircraft

Sep 2005 fleet reductions total 16 aircraft (4 A319's, 9 B737-300's, 3 B737-400's), leaving a fleet of 246. Under the transition agreement, this can go as low as 197.

Oct 2005 fleet reductions total 5 aircraft (2 A320's & 3 B737-300's), leaving a fleet of 241. Minimum fleet is 193.

Nov 2005 fleet reductions total 5 aircraft (1 A319, 2 A320's, 2 B737-300's), leaving a fleet of 236. Minimum fleet is 189.

Dec 2005 fleet reductions total 6 aircraft (5 B737-300's, 1 B737-400), leaving a fleet of 230. Minimum fleet is 184.

Jan 2006 fleet reductions total 7 (all B737-300's), leaving a fleet of 223. Minimum fleet is 178.

Feb 2006 fleet reductions total 4 (all B737-300's), leaving a fleet of 219. Minimum fleet is 175.


Over on the AWA side:

As of Aug 31, 2005:

- 34 A319's
- 59 A320's
- 37 B737-300's
- 13 B757's
------
Total - 143 Aircraft

The Sep 2005 fleet change is net zero - lose 2 B737-300's and gain 2 A320's. The fleet remains at 143.

The Oct 2005 fleet has a net gain of 1 (lose 1 A320 but gain 1 each A319 & A320), so the fleet goes to 144.

The Nov 2005 fleet also has a net gain of 1 (lose 1 A320 but gain 1 each A319 & A320), resulting in 145 aircraft.

In Dec 2005 the fleet net increase is 3 (lost 1 A320 & gain 4 A320's), making the fleet count 148 aircraft.

In Feb, Mar, Apr, & May 2006 the fleet again changes composition but not count ( Feb: lose 1 B737-300 & gain 1 A320, Mar: lose 1 B757 & gain 1 A319, Apr: lose 1 B737-300 & gain 1 A319, May: lose 1 B737-300 & gain 1 A320), still leaving 148 aircraft till Sep.

In Sep 2006 there is a loss of 1 A320, leaving 147 aircraft.

Jim

[Edit: After typing this I saw your question, etops, and the answer is no - the Emb-190 doesn't count toward the minimum fleet count]

 

[etops1]

so are they going to add the 190's in jim?

 

[700UW]

Well if they follow their M.O. they will order them, then something happen so they can't get them then outsource the 25 under LOA 93.

 

[BoeingBoy]

etops,

That's a question I can't answer, though I suspect they intend to get 190's at some point. I suppose the big questions (which others have mentioned here and there) is will they be a replacement for the A319/B737-300 and will they attempt to put them at an affiliate with one excuse or another. Hopefully the answers to both will be "No".

Jim

 

[Crzipilot]

i just read somewhere that the emb 190 will be flown in house . is that counted in as part of the fleet too?

[post="302406"][/post]​

Reading through the agreement the 190's will not count towards the fleet count. In addition, it allows up to 93 crj900 or similar aircraft to be flown at express carriers with an additional 3 for every 2 airframes over the min count of 360.

In addition, an interesting note is that the the fleet count by tail number of the combined company is broken out by AWA/US. Attachment B. AWA is showing 18 319/320's to be delivered between now and 2009. US is showing 19 320/321's from 2009 to 2010 and 20 350's delivered between 2011-2013........the returns were too many to count, unfortunately.

 

[ringmaruf]

That's a question I can't answer, though I suspect they intend to get 190's at some point. I suppose the big questions (which others have mentioned here and there) is will they be a replacement for the A319/B737-300 and will they attempt to put them at an affiliate with one excuse or another. Hopefully the answers to both will be "No".

[post="302437"][/post]​

I just can't help but feel that they're setting it up not to take the EMB-190s at mainline. The payscales are 10% higher than JetBlue--they'll use that as an excuse why they can't do it. And look--they've got scope relief to fly 93! CRJ-900s at whatever Express carrier they feel like putting them at, so I think they could satisfy their 90-seat needs with that inferior plane.


One other thing I noticed--they've got the A350s listed on the fleet plan, but not the A330-200s. An accidental omission? Or a slip in telling us that they've no intention of taking those planes?


Sigh...I wish I didn't have to be so damn paranoid with these people.

 

[ringmaruf]

One other thing I noticed--they've got the A350s listed on the fleet plan, but not the A330-200s. An accidental omission? Or a slip in telling us that they've no intention of taking those planes?

[post="302451"][/post]​

One more thing while I'm at it--assuming it's an honest mistake--if I can notice at first glance that the A330-200s are missing, WHY CAN'T THE IDIOTS AT ALPA?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Deleted by me - Jim

 

[elixir]

It's got to be an oversight...how else do they expect to maintain the transatlantic ops? The 76's are gasping for air, and AWA has nothing that will do it. Then again, I've been stunned by this company so often that nothing would surprise me at this point.

 

[LGA777]

A question and comment. I see HP has two A-320 deliveries this month September. Anybody know if they are in the new US scheme or where they to far along on the assembly line at Toulouse for this to happen ?

And I see N573US, one of the two infamous dot.com silver 733's was retired on Friday Sept 16 after operating US 780 ILM-CLT. With all the upcoming 733 retirements we can assume N350US will be in one of the next waves.

Regards

LGA777