Delta hiring new pilots/related story?

(If anybody's looking)

Delta resumes taking new-pilot applications (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Business digest

Delta Air Lines Wednesday began accepting applications for new-hire
pilots. It's the first time since 2001 that the airline has sought to
hire pilots.

"Starting the hiring process again is a significant milestone for our
pilot group," Steve Dickson, Delta's vice president of flight
operations, said in a release. "It signifies the likely return of our
last furloughed pilot, and provides hope for growth and career
advancement for current pilots."

Delta - which has 6,000 active pilots (including about 700 based at
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport) - recently
announced that it would need about 200 additional pilots during 2007 to
meet the demands of the flying schedule because of domestic network
changes and international expansion. These pilots will come from a
combination of pilots returning from furlough and new-hire pilots.

During 2006, Delta has offered recall to more than 340 pilots, in
addition to recalls of 900 maintenance professionals and 1,200 flight
attendants. The company, which operates its second-largest hub at CVG,
continues to hire in its airport customer-service and reservations
divisions.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...10322/1001/BIZ
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Comair can toss pilots' contract
Cuts needed, judge rules; talks planned
BY JON NEWBERRY

A federal bankruptcy court judge Thursday granted Comair permission to
nullify its labor contract with its 1,600 pilots. The ruling set the
stage for a possible strike over the holidays, if a last set of
concession talks next week fails.

The two sides had previously scheduled talks for Dec. 27-29, and there
has been no change in those plans at this point, Comair spokeswoman
Kate Marx said Thursday.

Any strike could have dramatic consequences for travelers at the
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Comair is the
leading carrier at CVG - operating 263 daily flights from the Hebron
airport, or about 38 percent of its airline's schedule. About 4,400 of
Comair's 6,300 employees work out of the local airport.

The 1,600 pilots at Comair have already authorized a strike if the
Erlanger-based regional airline imposes $15.8 million in pay cuts. The
company has told the union that it plans to do so Dec. 30.

Comair has been working for months to lower its overall costs and
escape bankruptcy, which it entered in September 2005. It cut the pay
of non-union employees last year and this year won concessions from its
flight attendants and mechanics unions.

The Delta Air Lines subsidiary calls its pilot costs the highest in the
regional industry.

The union "expected the possibility of this ruling," said Paul Denke, a
spokesman for Comair's branch of the Air Line Pilots Association.
"However, it does not change or affect Comair pilots' requirement for a
fair and consensual agreement from management. The (union leadership)
maintains that Comair pilots will not work under management-imposed pay
rates and working conditions."

The union is opening a "strike preparedness center" in Erlanger today -
and has told union members to remove all personal belongings from
Comair facilities by Sunday. ALPA also plans to conduct informational
picketing Dec. 29 at the local airport.

Meanwhile, Comair plans to ask U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Adlai Hardin
in New York for a court order prohibiting a strike by the pilots, Marx
said. The airline expects a hearing on that request before it begins
implementing pay and benefits cuts and work-rule changes next weekend,
she said.

The move is likely to set up a legal confrontation between the union
and the regional carrier over whether airline unions can strike during
a bankruptcy.

Usually, the federal Railway Labor Act applies to airline and railroad
workers, setting an array of conditions on when and where they can
strike.

But there is scant legal precedent involving a strike at an airline or
railroad that asked a bankruptcy court to void its labor contracts. In
fact, there's just one federal court opinion - and the circumstances
weren't exactly the same as those at Comair.

JUDGE SAW NEED FOR CUTS

Lawyers for the pilots union made much of Comair's projected $50
million profit for 2006 when Hardin heard arguments in the case at the
end of November.

But in his opinion released Thursday afternoon, Hardin said the
evidence of Comair's need to reduce its costs to regain competitiveness
was overwhelming.

He cited the airline's loss earlier this year of 12 70-seat jets that
Delta reassigned to Utah-based competitor SkyWest. (The shift means the
potential elimination of 264 pilots and flight attendants.)

The judge said Comair's share of Delta Connection flying has declined
from 52 percent in 2000 to 32 percent today.

He also noted that Comair's costs would increase substantially Jan. 1,
when pilots are due to receive a pay boost amounting to $8 million
annually under the terms of their current contract.

Hardin said the union's "blithe assertion" that Comair doesn't need
more aircraft and its "cavalier dismissal" of a threat by Delta to take
more planes from Comair "have an 'Alice in Wonderland' ring in the face
of the real world facts (his emphasis) confronting the airlines."

"The sacrifice and, ultimately, jobs of all Comair's other employee
groups cannot be jeopardized by the hold-out of one labor
constituency," Hardin said.

The cuts are projected to generate $15.8 million in annual savings, the
airline said. Average pilot pay under the plan would be reduced by
$6,400, or 11 percent. The average annual pay is currently $59,600,
although individual pay varies widely depending on years of service,
the type of plane flown and a pilot's position, Marx said.

NEGOTIATIONS WILL CONTINUE

In a message to Comair employees, president Don Bornhorst said the
airline is committed to continuing negotiations on a new contract with
the pilots union.

"While talk of a strike is fairly common during labor negotiations, we
have made it clear to (the union) that we take threats of work action
seriously, as any actions that disrupt the operation would threaten
Comair's survival," Bornhorst said.

The pilots union, which shut down Comair for three months in a 2001
strike, and the company re-entered concession talks this fall.

In January, the pilots approved a plan for $17.3 million in cuts spread
over four years. That agreement, however, was contingent on Comair
reaching a specific amount of cost savings from flight attendants and
mechanics.

The flight attendants - facing the imposition of terms after a ruling
by Hardin against them last summer - subsequently agreed this fall to
annual concessions of $7.9 million.

Since the total was $1 million lower than was required under the pilots
deal, Comair was forced to renegotiate with ALPA.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...Z01/612220350/
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First Officer

Thank you for your interest in a First Officer position with Comair
Airlines. Comair is a leading regional airline with a fleet of
state-of-the-art Bombardier CRJ aircraft. Comair currently offers its
customers over 1000 flights a day to 100 cities in 3 countries. Comair
is always looking for enthusiastic people to join our team of nearly
6200 aviation professionals.

The ideal candidate must meet the following minimum requirements:

* Commercial Pilot Certificate with a Multi-engine airplane &
Instrument Rating
* ATP Preferred - ATP Written Required
* Current First Class Medical Certificate
* FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit
* Must have a Valid Passport
* High School Diploma or equivalent: College Degree Preferred
* Be at least 21 years old
* Legally authorized to work in the U.S.A.
* Must be able to read, speak, and write fluent English.
* 600 Total Flight Hours
* 100 Total Multi-Engine Hours
* Comair Provides an Advanced CRJ Transition Program
* Program combines the best of an industry proven Jet Transition
Program with our current CRJ initial program
http://www.comair.com/hr/pilots/
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How an airline with "over 1000 flights a day to 100 cities in 3
countries" is a "regional carrier" escapes me.
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- gpsman

The airlines have been getting a bit of a slap in the face when they've
tried to recall experienced furloughed pilots. It appears many of them
have realized that there is more money and more stability working
overseas. A lot of developing countries are building their airlines up
and are taking advantage of the market to entice our experienced pilots
to fly for them. The Wall Street Journal did an interesting article on
this about 2 months ago. It's apparently getting hard to recall
experienced pilots.

-Robert