Onorato Making Plans For The Airport's Future

[BoeingBoy]

Onorato making plans for the airport's future

Thursday, April 08, 2004
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will hit the road looking to answer a question that has troubled the region and worried thousands of workers for more than a year:

What is the future of US Airways at Pittsburgh International Airport?

Article

Jim

 

[USA320Pilot]

US Airways will likely pull down the Pittsburgh hub and operate from 10 mainline and 10 express gates in the fall, making the airport a focus city. Expect mainline flying to be transferred to remaining focus/hub cities and possibly point’s westward.

Moreover, I expect the Carnot and McCormack training centers to close with their leases rejected, the Pittsburgh B737 simulator could be sold, the B757/767 simulator transferred to Charlotte, the simulator building lease rejected, and possibly the Greentree reservations sales center lease rejected and some employee positions transferred to Winston-Salem.

In addition, unless the company lets the IAM negotiate "Going Forward Plan" contract changes, the Pittsburgh B737 maintenance facility will be moved to a very undesirable location, which will not be Indianapolis, and then all Boeing aircraft replaced over time with A330, A321, A320, A319, EMB-195, and EMB-190 aircraft.

Therefore, if the company wins the A320 heavy maintenance-outsourcing grievance, without an IAM accord before the Arbitrators Opinion & Award, virtually the entire heavy maintenance department could be eliminated (except for the A330 track).

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[aerosmith]

What choice does Allegheny County have ? In light of Usair's indecisiveness.

 

[ClueByFour]

US Airways will likely pull down the Pittsburgh hub and operate from 10 mainline and 10 express gates in the fall, making the airport a focus city. Expect mainline flying to be transferred to remaining focus/hub cities and possibly point’s westward.

Moreover, I expect the Carnot and McCormack training centers to close with their leases rejected, the Pittsburgh B737 simulator could be sold, the B757/767 simulator transferred to Charlotte, the simulator building lease rejected, and possibly the Greentree reservations sales center lease rejected and some employee positions transferred to Winston-Salem.

In addition, unless the company lets the IAM negotiate "Going Forward Plan" contract changes, the Pittsburgh B737 maintenance facility will be moved to a very undesirable location, which will not be Indianapolis, and then all Boeing aircraft replaced over time with A330, A321, A320, A319, EMB-195, and EMB-190 aircraft.

Therefore, if the company wins the A320 heavy maintenance-outsourcing grievance, without an IAM accord before the Arbitrators Opinion & Award, virtually the entire heavy maintenance department could be eliminated (except for the A330 track).

Regards,

USA320Pilot

Since US lacks the money to open a new hub, PHL lacks the capacity to handle additional flying, CLT is too far south for a hubbing operation in the norhteast, LGA and DCA are slot constrained, and UA just solved two of the three issues it needs to beat to exit Chapter 11, exactly where are these US assets going to go? Moreover, where are they going to go where US controls %80 of 5 or 6 million O&D emplanments yearly and retains monopoly pricing power?

The great thing about Onorato is that he's not going to waste taxpayer dollars on an airline who employs gestapo-type negotiation "techniques" at the 11th hour of Chapter 11 led by a loser of a CEO with no viable business acumen.

Maybe the RC4 can put Onorato or Roddey on the negotiating committee.

 

[NeedForSpeedNFS]

Onorato making plans for the airport's future

Thursday, April 08, 2004
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will hit the road looking to answer a question that has troubled the region and worried thousands of workers for more than a year:

What is the future of US Airways at Pittsburgh International Airport?

Article

Jim

Hey!!! Onoranto is still concerned about the airport, and US???? I haven't heard Onoranto, and US/PIT airport in the same sentence in over 4 months!!!!!!!! Since Roddey lost to Onoranto, we havn't heard much about anything about the airport,except, US only solidifying 10 gates!!!, since,say, Jan 5,04!!!! Roddey was in this fight with this "supreme" airline management team for the last 3 YEARS!!!!, and NOTHING got done!!!!! This is nothing but pure "BS" from this management team!!! NOTHING is planned for PIT. I hate to keep saying it, but..... I have been saying this all along!!!! Click the heels of your shoes 3 times and wish for the best!...Goodbye PIT.....only a matter of time!!! GOOD DAY......MORE LATER!!!

 

[NeedForSpeedNFS]

US Airways will likely pull down the Pittsburgh hub and operate from 10 mainline and 10 express gates in the fall, making the airport a focus city. Expect mainline flying to be transferred to remaining focus/hub cities and possibly point’s westward.

Moreover, I expect the Carnot and McCormack training centers to close with their leases rejected, the Pittsburgh B737 simulator could be sold, the B757/767 simulator transferred to Charlotte, the simulator building lease rejected, and possibly the Greentree reservations sales center lease rejected and some employee positions transferred to Winston-Salem.

In addition, unless the company lets the IAM negotiate "Going Forward Plan" contract changes, the Pittsburgh B737 maintenance facility will be moved to a very undesirable location, which will not be Indianapolis, and then all Boeing aircraft replaced over time with A330, A321, A320, A319, EMB-195, and EMB-190 aircraft.

Therefore, if the company wins the A320 heavy maintenance-outsourcing grievance, without an IAM accord before the Arbitrators Opinion & Award, virtually the entire heavy maintenance department could be eliminated (except for the A330 track).

Regards,

USA320Pilot

I can only respond to this post one way.... I had a recent, very good discussion with PitBul, and several others that may know my feelings on this issue. But, this post, I feel, sums up our situation at U, as far as PIT is concerned: 320 is exactly correct in his assumptions. Although not saying it directly, I think 320 is saying PIT is finished. Please correct me if i'm wrong 320 :angry: Good day..More later

 

[NeedForSpeedNFS]

What choice does Allegheny County have ? In light of Usair's indecisiveness.

WISHFUL THINKING!!!!!

 

[mweiss]

Moreover, where are they going to go where US controls %80 of 5 or 6 million O&D emplanments yearly and retains monopoly pricing power?

Not PIT, that's for sure. US has only ~50% of the O&D market at PIT. Remember that 80% of US PIT emplanements are connecting pax.

 

[700UW]

The IAM will prevail in the arbitration, plain and simple.

 

[funguy2]

Yes... US Airways is expanding west... Puh-leeze. US Airways has been consistently dropping destinations in the west since the PSA merger. Most recently, SNA and SJC have been closed. But the list goes on and on... ABQ, AUS, SAT, ICT, OMA, TUS, Most of California, PDX.

What is US Airways going to do, another shot at MCI?

Oh wait, I know, they will move into DEN when UAL fails... Unfortunately, US Airways will fail while waiting for that to happen.

 

[USA320Pilot]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published "Armed with a plan to provide as much as $30 million a year in airport debt relief, Onorato intends to meet separately with US Airways Chief Executive Officer David Siegel and board Chairman David Bronner to press them for answers. Yesterday, Onorato said the county and the airport authority need to know what commitments US Airways is willing to make so they can begin preparing contingencies."

The Post-Gazette continued "While US Airways spokesman David Castelveter welcomed the meetings with Onorato, he questioned whether the money-losing airline would be able to discuss its future in Pittsburgh given its continuing effort to further cut costs."

USA320Pilot comments: Castelveter just let the community know that Pittsburgh will likely become a focus city this fall. The ACAA, Allegheny County, and the Commonwealth had an opportunity early on to meet US Airways' demands, which would have permitted Pittsburgh to become a hub similar in scope to Cincinnati, but events have changed and now the airline will likely redeploy its operations seeking other opportunities.

The "Going Forward Plan" calls for a 20% increase in mainline aircraft utilization, 8 RJs including 5 EMB-170s per month added to the network, and according to Dave Siegel in his webcast a dramatic increase in Washington (including Dulles), New York, and Boston point-to-point flying; as well as expanded operations westward.

However, once the company stabilizes its financial situation and makes major "Going Forward Plan" strides, management has indicated US Airways will be involved in some form of M&A activity.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[PITbull]

Onorato making plans for the airport's future

Thursday, April 08, 2004
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will hit the road looking to answer a question that has troubled the region and worried thousands of workers for more than a year:

What is the future of US Airways at Pittsburgh International Airport?

Article

Jim

Hey!!! Onoranto is still concerned about the airport, and US???? I haven't heard Onoranto, and US/PIT airport in the same sentence in over 4 months!!!!!!!! Since Roddey lost to Onoranto, we havn't heard much about anything about the airport,except, US only solidifying 10 gates!!!, since,say, Jan 5,04!!!! Roddey was in this fight with this "supreme" airline management team for the last 3 YEARS!!!!, and NOTHING got done!!!!! This is nothing but pure "BS" from this management team!!! NOTHING is planned for PIT. I hate to keep saying it, but..... I have been saying this all along!!!! Click the heels of your shoes 3 times and wish for the best!...Goodbye PIT.....only a matter of time!!! GOOD DAY......MORE LATER!!!

Onorato is the best thing that has happened to our region in a long time.


He is extremely proactive and will do what is in the best interest of our tricity region. He also meets often with the USAirways local labor coalition to get their input. If it can happen and is possible and USAirways still has any interest in Pittsburgh; it will happen with Dan Onorato. USAirways will have the first opptunity to capture any cost savings with what the County is devising. If they close that window, life goes on for Allegheny County and its tesidents and other carriers will come in. Presently, U has the advantage and monpoly. NO SW here, or JetBlue.

 

[NeedForSpeedNFS]

PITBul, I actually should have expanded further on my point: that being; I mentioned Onorato, and Roddey for a reason. The particular situation for the IAM was keeping maintenance in-house, correct? Roddey was a driving force behind this effort,in concert WITH the IAM, to persuade US to keep, and build a maint and training facility in PIT(MY!!!! a REPUBLICAN working with labor to save jobs!!!! NO that can't be!!!!) YES, 9/11 changed the picture, but up until the change to Onorato, Roddey was in the fight to keep US in PIT. In the end, because he was consistently rebuffed/ignored by this "supreme" management of ours , He ended his term in utter discust with Siegal and company!! For all his hard work for trying, he was rewarded by the IAM, they backed ONORATO!!!! What is HIS position since Jan 5, 04?? Lets try to get lcc's in here. PIT is doomed!!! has been for the last 3 years. PitBul, like alot of your posts, but this is where we disagree on the political spectrum. What I just mentioned of Roddey and his fight, and determination to keep US in PIT, you HAVE to know to be true. Sometimes, you must remove the blinders, and get rid of DEM/REP thinking. There REALLY are SOME, obviously not many, republicans who work for labor. Give credit where it's due!!! Thats all i'm saying. GOOD DAY!!!!!!.....MORE LATER!!!!

 

[700UW]

Seems someone is self-conscious about his affiliation.

Why can't I see?

 

[NeedForSpeedNFS]

Seems someone is self-conscious about his affiliation.

Why can't I see?

WHAT????? This post doesn't make any sense 700