MEL elimination

[Necrophilias]

Sometime ago while writing a thesis for scholastic honors I was required to address issues to be resolved within a corporate structure. Research and discussions lead me to believe that often a road once traveled could be the answer to current problems. Here are my thoughts as to how SCABAIRWAYS could contend with a high MEL count.

Issue: A high MEL count at a troubled airline.

Solution: Recall 800-900 skilled aircraft mechanics to reslove the MEL count. When the MEL count is down the recalled mechanics would have active seniority rights and could displace those who were hired in recent years. The troubled airline would once again have skilled mechanics and at a lower rate of pay. This isn't to state that the airline would resume the proper number of mechanics but a higher skill level would again be realized.

Will a troubled airline have the common sense to take such action? We'll see!

N.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Kev, what is the current MEL count at NWA?

 

[Spock]

Necrophilias, 😳 You blew it right there. "Common Sense?" Never saw one bit of that in my 20 yrs there. NW mgt is never wrong, never admits it made an error. 😳

 

[Don Smith]

A week before the strike the MEL count was really high. The reason was parts availability. We couldn't get a part to clear an MEL. The rumor was that there were parts being stored in a hangar location in DTW for use immediately after we went on strike so that the SCABS could get the MEL count back down and thereby showing the world that Dougie's SCAB crew were, in is words, "highly qualified and experienced mechanics". Thanks to certain posters on this board we've learned "that it just ain't so". The reason for the high count is as you have said Necro...low level of experience and in some cases inept mechanics. Crack staff Dougie.

Sometime ago while writing a thesis for scholastic honors I was required to address issues to be resolved within a corporate structure. Research and discussions lead me to believe that often a road once traveled could be the answer to current problems. Here are my thoughts as to how SCABAIRWAYS could contend with a high MEL count.

Issue: A high MEL count at a troubled airline.

Solution: Recall 800-900 skilled aircraft mechanics to reslove the MEL count. When the MEL count is down the recalled mechanics would have active seniority rights and could displace those who were hired in recent years. The troubled airline would once again have skilled mechanics and at a lower rate of pay. This isn't to state that the airline would resume the proper number of mechanics but a higher skill level would again be realized.

Will a troubled airline have the common sense to take such action? We'll see!

N.

 

[jenny@nw]

Is this why that one DC-9 is slowly disintegrating at Bldg F ?

 

[robbedagain]

that could be very well jenny! just like therest of their already depleted fleet!!! excellent post there necro.

 

[Don Smith]

This is how it has worked since the strike Jenny. MELs are not a priority and it runs right up the maintenance ladder. Look at the three 757s parked between the hangars in Indy. Sitting there with engines missing. Plenty of spare airplanes laying around and when they went to the fall schedule the pressure is off and they can afford to have a few sitting around broken. It won't get better. You can't operate a maintenance operation on a shoestring and expect to get things repaired and maintained. Bean counters may love it but the passengers are the ones who suffer with delays and cancellations.

 

[Necrophilias]

Necrophilias, 😳 You blew it right there. "Common Sense?" Never saw one bit of that in my 20 yrs there. NW mgt is never wrong, never admits it made an error. 😳

My thought is that given the fact there is no longer a strike it's time grow a more functional airline. Once the airline can restore the skill level, the execs will have everything they wished for at the onset of the strike.

I original post on this thread goes foward to suggest the most reasonable and fast way to repair scattered aircraft. Once this process is brought to a current level of acceptance the high seniority mechanics can return to the best available bid location.

This scenario is quite simply the most reasonable choice for long term maintainence.

 

[Necrophilias]

Necrophilias, 😳 You blew it right there. "Common Sense?" Never saw one bit of that in my 20 yrs there. NW mgt is never wrong, never admits it made an error. 😳

Grasshopper: Mistake not equal big picture, solution equal big picture.

There is too the thought that "solutions" may not be a key issue at SCABAIRWAYS.

N.

 

[Bob Owens]

You can't operate a maintenance operation on a shoestring and expect to get things repaired and maintained.

You can if you have motivated skilled mechanics around. But the airlines dont seem to think its worth it. They would rather see billions wasted than spend a few million on the workers who can make it work.

I suspect that a lot of the delays and cancellations that we see throughout this industry are entirely preventable, mechanics wont knowingly release dangerous unairworthy aircraft but they probably are not willing to go above and beyond to keep them airworthy either.

 

[Kev3188]

Issue: A high MEL count at a troubled airline.

Solution: Recall 800-900 skilled aircraft mechanics to reslove the MEL count. When the MEL count is down the recalled mechanics would have active seniority rights and could displace those who were hired in recent years. The troubled airline would once again have skilled mechanics and at a lower rate of pay. This isn't to state that the airline would resume the proper number of mechanics but a higher skill level would again be realized.

Will a troubled airline have the common sense to take such action? We'll see!

N.

Nice theory. But as Spock mentioned a bit further up, NW has *no* common sense. Anyone remember Richard Anderson braggin from the highest hill about how NW AMT's had brought the fleet MEL count down to zero during the pilot's strike? How hard/not hard would that be to do now?

Kev, what is the current MEL count at NWA?

I'm not sure...last time I looked (late last week) it was 250 ish...

A week before the strike the MEL count was really high. The reason was parts availability. We couldn't get a part to clear an MEL.

Same story out west. The guys there couldn't figure out why MC wouldn't let them "just fix the 'planes" in the last couple of weeks leading up to the strike.

Is this why that one DC-9 is slowly disintegrating at Bldg F ?

I thought that was the one that collided with the A320 on the ramp????

 

[groundcontrol]

Nice theory. But as Spock mentioned a bit further up, NW has *no* common sense. Anyone remember Richard Anderson braggin from the highest hill about how NW AMT's had brought the fleet MEL count down to zero during the pilot's strike? How hard/not hard would that be to do now?
I'm not sure...last time I looked (late last week) it was 250 ish...
Same story out west. The guys there couldn't figure out why MC wouldn't let them "just fix the 'planes" in the last couple of weeks leading up to the strike.
I thought that was the one that collided with the A320 on the ramp????

I read where NW got another 6 month extension in BK. They want the right to give back more leased aircraft. Do you suppose these leased a/c will be the highest MEL'd? Spend zero $$$ on buying parts, just give them back. Hopefully they can play this game until new aircraft come on line. Just my thoughts.

 

[robbedagain]

how long can they continue operating with such high mel numbers and wouldnt the FAA have to at least give a warning if not shut down the airline til the mel counts are down?

 

[jenny@nw]

The DC-9 is the one that collided with the Airbus...but there are parts missing... every other week if I take a good look at it again, there's more parts missing.

 

[Don Smith]

If nwa is going to park 10 aircraft for the fall schedule, which ones will get parked? The ones with the highest MEL count. Accordingly they will start to rob good parts off of it for other repairs. IF (big if) they wait to turn them back to the leasing companies they can get a special flight permit to send them back to the leassors designated location. They can always find some pilot that thinks he can fly a trash can if it had wings so that won't be a problem. The leasing company will probably balk at the return of a broken aircraft but they won't have any leverage since nwa's lawyers probably amended the return terms in BK court. Just another day of bean counting and screwing the vendors at nwa.