US Airways tails.
Cuts, cuts, cuts. Airlines cutting routes, planes, and people seem to dominate the airline news. However this cut, has a little positive spin to it.
In 2008 US Airways had to let go over 1,300 positions, something no company enjoys. With declining revenues, US Airways had to make additional cuts, but didn’t want to resort to laying off additional people. Instead, the airline is asking flight attendants to volunteer to take 4 to 16 months off to allow the airline to save some cash.
The airline currently has over 6,600 flight attendants among their 33,000 employees.
I wasn’t able to find anywhere if the employees would be paid, so I contacted the kind folks over at US Airways. They stated that the leave is an “unpaid furlough”, but “flight attendants will be able to keep their flight privleges during the furlough.”
US Airways are not the only ones talking about future job cuts. Air France is looking at 3000 cuts, Delta 2000, American 1600, and on and on.
Part of me wonders how many of these cuts are needed and how many are these just an opprotunity to eliminate people at a time where it is becoming more and more accepted to lay off large numbers of hardworking people.
Image: Tomcatgeorge
A Continental Airlines Boeing 777 landing at Newark
Details are still sparse, but what is known is a pilot died on Continental Airlines flight 61 from Brussels to Newark. The plane landed safely at Newark.
Yes, having a pilot die during the flight is never a good thing. However, the flight had two co-pilots who were more than qualified to land the plane. The plane was even able to land at its original destination.
Why is the media covering this story so much? Is the coverage related to the Air France flight 447 crash? It seems the mainstream media is picking up on any little plane incident since the Air France accident. Yes, stories like this are interesting, but it can become bothersome when it causes fear in readers about flying.
I wish all the best for the family of the pilot, but I hope everyone else realizes the plane was safe and co-pilots (even if there was only one) are trained to take over and safely land the plane.
Follow the most recent details…
Image: hornet517
A nice mesh-type curtain.
Have you ever flown in first class and felt bad about having to look at the people sitting in the back of the plane? Ever been in the back of the plane and hated seeing the treatment that the front of the plane received?
Worry no longer, the class divider (aka cabin curtains) is making a comeback.
After the September 11th attacks, the TSA mandated airlines lose their curtains, allowing easy plane visibility. Passengers (presumably from the front of the plane) have complained and want to have more privacy and airlines are responding.
American Airlines is in process of adding new curtains to recreate the class separation. United Airlines started earlier, installing mesh-type curtains over three years ago.
As time goes on, more and more airlines will most likely follow. Even being in the back of the plane, this can be a good thing, since I don’t enjoy seeing what I am missing.
Source: Chicago Tribune Image: olton
Some creative United Airlines and American Airlines liveries
I am one that enjoys following all the airline liveries and get excited when a new one comes out. Sometimes I shudder when seeing a new livery that just…well isn’t that great.
While surfing around, I found a website that allows people to create their own liveriesand some are not half bad. Kind of wish more airlines would take a look to get a better idea of what possibilities are out there, since creating a new brand is not cheap.
Sukoi Superjet 100. Pic from sukhoi.org
Jon Ostrower from FlightBlogger is over at the Paris Air Show and has been doing a great job covering it. Today he posted a video showing the new Sukhoi Superjet.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 can hold 75-95 passengers and is scheduled to start deliveries in the third quarter of 2009. Armenian Armanvia will receive the first planes, followed by Aeroflot. The Flightblogger reports that there are an additional 24 orders from Avia Leasing and another 30 for Malev in Hungary. As of June 2009 there are 124 confirmed orders and an additional 99 options by 11 airlines/leasing companies.
Even though most of the attention is given to the Boeing vs Airbus battle, there are quite a few other aircraft choices out there, other than the two main players. The Airline Blog will be reporting more on other aircraft manufacturers this summer.
See More: Video – Sukoi.org