Category Archives: US Airways

American Airlines Group reports a record third quarter net profit of $1.2 billion

American Airlines Group Inc. (American Airlines and US Airways) (Dallas/Fort Worth) today reported its third quarter 2014 results.

Third quarter 2014 net profit, excluding net special charges, was a record $1.2 billion, up 59 percent versus the third quarter 2013

Third quarter 2014 GAAP net profit was $942 million, a record for any quarter in the history of American Airlines

Returned $185 million to shareholders through the payment of $72 million in quarterly dividends and the repurchase of $113 million of common stock through the Company’s stock repurchase program

Declared a dividend of $0.10 per share to be paid on November 17, 2014 to shareholders of record as of November 3, 2014

For the third quarter 2014, American Airlines Group reported a record GAAP net profit of $942 million. This compares to a GAAP net profit of $289 million in the third quarter 2013 for AMR Corporation prior to the merger.

The Company believes it is more meaningful to compare year-over-year results for American Airlines and US Airways excluding special charges and on a combined basis, which is a non-GAAP formulation that combines the results for AMR Corporation and US Airways Group. On this basis, third quarter 2014 net profit excluding net special charges was a record $1.2 billion, or $1.66 per diluted share. This represents a 59 percent improvement over the combined non-GAAP net profit of $771 million excluding net special charges for the same period in 2013. The Company’s third quarter 2014 pretax margin excluding net special charges was 11 percent. See the accompanying notes in the Financial Tables section of this press release for further explanation of this presentation, including a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.

“We are very pleased to have reported a record profit for each quarter so far in 2014,” said Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. “We anticipate we will also post a record profit for both the fourth quarter and full year 2014. This performance reflects the strength of our merger and the commitment of our team. Our over 100,000 team members are doing an excellent job of integrating our airlines and providing outstanding service to our customers. While some of the biggest tasks in our integration still lie before us, the significant accomplishments to date reinforce our confidence that we are well on our way to restoring American as the world’s greatest airline. Thanks to our team, American is in excellent position for success in 2015 and beyond.”

Revenue and Cost Comparisons

Total revenues in the third quarter were a record $11.1 billion, an increase of 4.4 percent versus the third quarter 2013 on a combined basis, on a 2.0 percent increase in total available seat miles (ASMs). Consolidated passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) was a record at 14.12 cents, up 1.0 percent versus the third quarter 2013 on a combined basis, driven by a record yield of 16.93 cents, up 2.6 percent year-over-year.

Total operating expenses in the third quarter were $9.9 billion, an increase of 3.5 percent over combined third quarter 2013. Third quarter mainline cost per available seat mile (CASM) was 13.28 cents, up 1.3 percent on a 2.1 percent increase in mainline ASMs versus combined third quarter 2013. Excluding special charges and fuel, mainline CASM was up 0.7 percent compared to the combined third quarter 2013, at 8.35 cents. Regional CASM excluding special charges and fuel was 15.52 cents, up 3.7 percent on a 1.0 percent increase in regional ASMs versus combined third quarter 2013.

Liquidity and Financing Transactions

At September 30, 2014, American had approximately $8.8 billion in total cash and short-term investments, of which $875 million was restricted. The Company also had an undrawn revolving credit facility of $1.0 billion.

During the third quarter, the Company Issued $957 million principal amount of 2014-1 Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) at a blended interest rate of 3.8 percent and issued $750 million principal amount of 5.5 percent senior unsecured notes due in 2019.

Also in the third quarter, the Company returned $185 million to its shareholders through the payment of $72 million in quarterly dividends and the repurchase of $113 million of common stock, or 2.9 million shares. The Company also purchased approximately 432,000 shares from its Disputed Claims Reserve at the prevailing market price to satisfy certain tax obligations resulting from the July 1, 2014, distribution.

As of September 30, 2014, $721 million of the Company’s unrestricted cash balance was held in Venezuelan bolivars, valued at the weighted average applicable exchange rate of 6.41 bolivars to the dollar. The Company’s cash balance held in Venezuelan bolivars decreased $70 million from the June 30, 2014, balance of $791 million, due primarily to $48 million in repatriations in the third quarter of 2014 ($31 million valued at 6.3 bolivars to the dollar and $17 million valued at 10.6 bolivars to the dollar). This balance also reflects the Company’s significant reduction in capacity in this market, pending further repatriation of funds and due to a decrease in demand for air travel resulting from the effective devaluation of the bolivar. The Company continues to work with Venezuelan authorities regarding the timing and exchange rate applicable to the repatriation of funds held in local currency. The Company is monitoring this situation closely and continues to evaluate its holdings of Venezuelan bolivars for potential impairment.

In early October, the Company arranged a new credit facility consisting of a fully-drawn $750 million term loan that matures in October 2021 and an undrawn $400 million revolving credit facility that matures in October 2019. Collateral for the new credit facility consists of certain slots, gates and route authorities. Also in early October, the Company increased its existing $1 billion revolving credit facility by $400 million and extended its maturity date from June 2018 to October 2019. As a result of these transactions, the Company’s undrawn revolving credit facility is now $1.8 billion.

On October 22, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.10 per share for shareholders of record as of November 3, 2014. The dividend will be paid on November 17, 2014.

Merger Integration Developments

Reached a tentative agreement with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants on a joint collective bargaining agreement covering more than 24,000 flight attendants at American and US Airways. This agreement is pending ratification by the flight attendants

Recalibrated the schedule at our Miami hub to increase the number of available connections and optimize revenue

Combined operations at 82 airports since the merger, including the Company’s hub at Chicago O’Hare

Broke ground on our new state of the art Robert W. Baker Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, with completion planned for the third quarter of 2015

American flight attendants began exclusively using an electronic flight attendant manual on a handheld tablet, making the documents easier to access for flight attendants and reducing weight on each aircraft. US Airways flight attendants will begin using eManuals after the two carriers achieve a single operating certificate next year

Rebranded nine Admirals Club® lounges at eight airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Boston Logan Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, and Tampa International Airport

Fleet and Network Developments

As part of its plan to modernize its fleet, the Company took delivery of 22 new mainline aircraft during the third quarter

US Airways became fully integrated in the trans-Atlantic joint business by launching a codeshare agreement with Finnair, providing customers increased access to Helsinki and beyond

Applied for new international service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Beijing. This will be the Company’s 11th route between the U.S. and Asia

Special Items

In the third quarter, the Company recognized a total of $281 million in net special charges, including:

$223 million net special operating charges, which principally included $168 million of mainline and regional merger integration expenses and an $81 million charge to revise prior estimates of certain aircraft residual values. These charges were offset, in part, by a net $40 million credit for bankruptcy related items consisting of fair value adjustments for bankruptcy settlement obligations
$50 million of nonoperating items, primarily due to early debt extinguishment costs related to American’s 7.5 percent senior secured notes and other debt
$8 million in non-cash deferred income tax provision related to certain indefinite-lived intangible assets

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. US Airways is now repainting its fleet, including the older Boeing 757-200s. Boeing 757-23N N203UW (msn 30548) taxies at the Charlotte hub.

American Airlines (current livery):

US Airways:

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines Cargo and US Airways Cargo today are now using the same air waybill, another step in the merger process

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) have reached a significant milestone in their merger today as the cargo divisions combined under a single air waybill. The new entity brings in more than $800 million each year and moves more than one billion pounds of freight and mail annually.

The cargo teams have successfully combined 154 facilities and harmonized products since December 2013, making it the first operations division at the airline to be fully integrated.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Another step in the repainting process at US Airways is the pictured Airbus A319-112 N745VJ (msn 1289) in the legacy 1966 Allegheny Airlines markings now has American titles.

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines (current livery):

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Allegheny Airlines (1st) Aircraft Slide Show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Allegheny-Airlines-1st

APA meets with American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and will not agree to any Scope concessions

Allied Pilots Association-APA (Dallas/Fort Worth), representing the pilots of American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has issued this statement about its meeting with CEO Doug Parker and its concern about any Scope concessions:

The newly expanded APA board of directors — with duly designated chairmen and vice chairmen from CLT, PHL and PHX — is convening this week for the first time.

As a board, we are united concerning Scope. We understand and share your concerns prompted by senior management’s recent comments about our industry-standard 76-seat limit on regional affiliate aircraft. Management has indicated a desire to dilute that limitation and obtain a below-industry-standard Scope Clause in the ongoing joint collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

This afternoon (October 8), the full APA board met with American Airlines CEO Doug Parker. Our conversation with Mr. Parker was frank and cordial and covered a wide range of items. Foremost among them: We informed him that APA will not agree to any Scope concessions. Our actions now concerning Scope will help define the profession for the balance of our careers and for the next generation of aviators, and we are committed to securing industry-leading pay and work rules.

With the merger of American Airlines and US Airways succeeding beyond the most optimistic forecasts, management needs to address APA’s priorities concerning quality of life, work rules, and pay and benefits. Our pilots’ sacrifices, our efforts on the merger’s behalf and the vital role we play in the airline’s success must be appropriately acknowledged.

American Airlines launches its month-long “Be Pink” campaign to raise funds for breast cancer research

American Airlines Group (Dallas/Fort Worth) will launch its annual “Be Pink” campaign, a month-long, employee-led initiative to raise funds for breast cancer research and awareness. This year’s Be Pink campaign marks the first time the combined company has joined forces for the cause. Throughout the month of October, more than 100,000 American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) team members will don pink uniform items, serve customers with Be Pink-branded items and lace up their tennis shoes for local walks and events to support the fight against cancer.

Customers will have the opportunity to join the company’s Be Pink efforts with special offers to promote awareness and action against breast cancer, which accounts for one in eight of newly diagnosed cancers among women. During the month of October a minimum $25 donation to American’s Miles for the Cure® program will earn AAdvantage® members 20 bonus miles, instead of 10, for each dollar contributed. Donations can be made at aa.com/BePink.

When customers travel on American during October, they will see pink from the time they book tickets on aa.com, to when they pick up their baggage at their final destination. Employees will be sporting Be Pink uniform items and many of them will be part of awareness teams to raise funds through their participation in local American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure events. The company’s websites, in-flight American Way magazine, napkins, in-flight menus, cabin messages, complimentary in-flight lemonade and even some boarding passes will “go pink” to serve as symbols of American employees’ determination to find a cure for breast cancer.

American has supported the fight against breast cancer for more than 30 years and is the Official Airline of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. In 2013, American and US Airways raised more than half a million dollars to support the cause through the generosity of employees, customers and corporate contributions. Visit American’s Join Us In Causes That Matter page on aa.com to learn more about how you can join the company’s efforts to create a world without breast cancer.

Miles for the Cure® and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® are registered trademarks of Susan G. Komen.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-223 ER N759AN (msn 32638) with the special “Susan G. Komen” pink ribbon markings departs from Los Angeles in the now old 1968 livery.

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines (historic):

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American Airlines Group pays renewed homage to the original Pacific Southwest Airlines

American Airlines Group (American Airlines and US Airways) (Dallas/Fort Worth) has repainted the pictured US Airways Airbus A319-112 N742PS (msn 1275) now with American titles. The Group is proud of its heritage logo jets and is also proud to remember its honored past. The group intends to have additional heritage jets (including TWA) for most of its heritage airlines that are now in the new and expanded American Airlines family tree (below).

The original Pacific Southwest Airlines-PSA (San Diego) operated from 1949 to 1988.

In other news, the continued negotiations for a combined pilot seniority list continues for the new American Airlines with some calling for America West pilots to be included in the negotiations.

This article by Ted Reed in Forbes details the on-going negotiations for a fair seniority list. Read the article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N742PS (msn 1275) in the 1977 livery of PSA and now with American titles departs from the Charlotte hub.

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Photos of the original PSA via YouTube:

Family Tree: Courtesy of American Airlines (aircraft images from AirlinersGallery.com):

US Airways puts its first American branded Airbus A330 into revenue service

US Airways (American Airlines Group) (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) has painted its first Airbus A330 in the American Airlines‘ 2013 livery. Airbus A330-323 N270AY (msn 315) was painted at Amarillo, Texas and was delivered to the Philadelphia hub on September 18, 2014. The first revenue service was from Philadelphia (PHL) to London (Heathrow) on September 19 followed by Venice on September 20.

The aircraft operated to Dublin, Ireland on September 21 arriving the next day. Today N270AY is pictured departing from Dublin for the return journey back to Philadelphia.

US Airways next will repaint the PSA heritage Airbus A319 with American titles.

American Airlines-US Airways:

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American Airlines and US Airways Passenger Service Agents vote to join the Teamsters-CWA Association

American Airlines‘ (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways‘ (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) passenger service agents have voted to join the CWA-IBT Customer Service Employee Association. This is another step towards the final merger. The union issued this statement:

In a vote announced today by the National Mediation Board (NMB), more than 15,000 passenger service professionals at the newly-merged American-US Airways have voted to join the CWA-IBT Customer Service Employee Association. The joint effort to organize passenger service agents was led by Communication Workers of American (CWA) which will represent about 7,500 new members; 1,300 new members will be represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Agents at both airlines voted over the phone and online in a month-long election administered by the NMB. The results were tallied and it was announced today that the workers had voted for the CWA-IBT Association by a 6-to-1 margin.

“We are honored to represent a total of more than 3,000 passenger service agents at the New American Airlines,” said Teamsters Airline Division Director David Bourne. “The Teamsters are committed to providing American Airlines employees and our existing members at US Airways with strong representation as both airlines continue to integrate in this merger.”

Prior to its merger with American Airlines, US Airways’ passenger service agents were represented by CWA in the east with approximately 4,700 members and by the Teamsters in the west with about 1,800 members. The shared representation was the result of US Airways’ merger in 2005 with America West Airlines whose customer service agents were Teamsters. US Airways’ latest merger with American Airlines, whose agents were nonunion, led to an election to determine representation for all agents at the newly-merged carrier.

“With our partners in CWA, the Teamsters are leading the way in protecting airline professionals involved in the biggest airline merger in history,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “Our union is dedicated to fighting on behalf of workers in this volatile industry. Our new members at the combined American-US Airways now have two of the strongest airline unions in their corner.”

American Airlines agents who have won representation for the first time are concerned about outsourcing, job security, fair work rules and having a strong contract. The agents know from experience how vulnerable they are without representation. American’s 2011 bankruptcy led to layoffs, outsourced job titles, and sharp cuts in pay and benefits for those who kept their jobs.

“I can’t tell you how great this victory is for us,” said Debra Ewing, a 15-year US Airways agent in Phoenix, Arizona. “American Airlines customer service agents have tried for over 20 years to gain representation and the merger with US Airways allowed the Teamsters to step in and bring home a win. This means an end to so much outsourcing for American agents who will regain profit-sharing, shift differentials, a three-tiered medical plan, paid vacation and more. That’s what union representation is – and now we all have it.”

Agents at US Airways have enjoyed strong representation for years and are looking forward to having an even stronger voice in the merger process with 9,000 new agents at American strengthening their association.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. US Airways Airbus A319-112 N701UW (msn 890) departs from Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) painted in American Airlines 2013 colors.

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American Airlines and US Airways to combine cargo operations on October 20

American Airlines Group (American Airlines and US Airways) (Dallas/Fort Worth) are merging its cargo operations on October 20. The Group has issued this letter to its cargo customers:

Dear Cargo Customer

Nine months ago, the merger between American Airlines and US Airways became official. Since then, we have dedicated ourselves to restoring American as the greatest airline in the world. The cargo team has been working hard to plan for a seamless transition and I thank you for your patience and loyalty during this time.

The objective of our integration has been to bring together the expertise, solutions, and teams you’ve relied on from both cargo organizations into the industry’s most customer-focused airfreight partner. I am proud to share with you that on Monday, October 20, 2014, we will take the largest step toward this goal by becoming one cargo organization and transitioning to a single air waybill using the American Airlines prefix 001.

While you will be seeing more information over the next few weeks, I’d like to share the following important details now:

We will transition to accepting a single air waybill (001) for all new shipments originating on or after October 20.

All American Airlines and US Airways booking channels will still be available to you, including our customer contact centers and aacargo.com, and will allow you to book 001 air waybills across both networks for flights on October 20th and beyond.

For shipments originating between now and October 19, please continue to use US Airways (037) and American Airlines (001) air waybills when booking, tendering, and recovering shipments with each respective airline.

The combination of our networks is only the beginning of many exciting changes built around your needs. With initiatives like e-freight, a new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical facility in Philadelphia, and 70 new widebody and hundreds of narrowbody aircraft on the way, we are modernizing the cargo business with you in mind.

Our most important goal is to ensure a smooth experience for you and your extended team. In the coming weeks, you will receive more details about what this transition means and how you can best take advantage of the benefits. You can also find the latest updates any time on aacargo.com.

Thank you again for your business and we look forward to partnering with you as one cargo team very soon.

Sincerely

Jim W. Butler
President, American Airlines Cargo

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N700UW (msn 885) of US Airways operating in American colors arrives in Washington at Reagan National Airport (DCA).

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines-US Airways:

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American-US Airways pilots agree on a protocol for pilot seniority integration, will it lead to a final list?

U.S. Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), representing the pilots of US Airways (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) (and the pilots of the former America West Airlines) (Phoenix), stated it has reached a tentative agreement on a protocol with the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union representing the pilots of American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth). The tentative agreement lays out a process for the seniority integration of the two pilot groups according to The Street.

However according to article by Forbes, the previous bitter split between US Airways (East) pilots and America West (West) pilots at US Airways, could reemerge as work continues on a final seniority list. Will the new American Airlines inherit the seven-year old US Airways-America West pilot dispute? Forbes explores this question.

Read the full interesting article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Freshly repainted with new American titles, US Airways’ Airbus A319-132 N838AW (msn 2615) painted in America West’s 2005 heritage livery, taxies to the gate at the Charlotte hub. N838AW symbolizes this hot button issue better than any other AA-US aircraft.

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Jay Selman’s An Inside Look: Farewell to 406

Guest Editor Jay Selman

Farewell to 406

by Guest Editor Jay Selman

In over 50 years, I have lost count of how many airplane flights I have taken. I’ve flown on airliners, military airplanes, corporate jets, private aircraft, and helicopters. I’ve flown in just about every airliner from the Comet to the Concorde. I’ve flown from Greensboro, North Carolina to Winston-Salem, a 7-minute (maybe) hop, and I’ve flown from New York to Hong Kong. I’m saying this to say that I have taken some memorable flights, but the vast majority of the airplanes I’ve flown in don’t stick in my mind.

One flight that I do vividly remember occurred on September 15, 1988, when I flew on N406US (man 23876), from Boeing Field in Seattle to Greensboro, North Carolina. 406 was a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 737-401, just one of well over 12,000 737s that have been built or are on order. What made it special was the fact that it was the first 737-400 in the world to be delivered to a customer, and I was privileged to be on that delivery flight, 26 years ago.

Copyright Photo: Jim “Jet” Thompson. Boeing 737-401 N406US is towed out at Boeing Field on a cloudy Seattle day with a special “First Boeing 737-400” banner.

Piedmont was one of the early operators of the 737-300, a vastly-upgraded version of the venerable 737-200. Powered by a pair of CFM-56 engines, the 737-300 represented a tremendous advantage in terms of economy, power, and lowered noise levels inside and outside the cabin. The -300 was an immediate hit with airlines and passengers. A year after the first -300 entered service, Boeing offered the -400, featuring a 10-foot fuselage stretch over the -300. Needing a replacement for its fleet of aging 727-200s, Piedmont became the launch customer for the -400, with an initial order for 25. In 1987, USAir announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Piedmont. 20 737-400s of Piedmont’s original order were delivered, and USAir ordered an additional 35 of the type and, in all, the company eventually operated 55 737-400s.

By the time that 406, named the Thomas H Davis Pacemaker in honor of the founder of Piedmont Airlines, was ready to leave her nest in Seattle, Piedmont was heading toward a merger with USAir, and she was delivered in a hybrid color scheme of a bare metal fuselage and a Piedmont blue cheat line. As a useless bit of trivia, only four Piedmont 737-400s were delivered with a blue stripe: 406, 407, 408, and 409. The rest came on property with the red USAir cheat line.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. N406US wears the Piedmont metal transition livery as it lands in Charlotte.

Boeing did a nice job of catering the first-ever delivery of a -400, and there was cause for celebration. It was, indeed, an historic event. Yet, the mood among most of the Piedmont people was a bit subdued, as reality set in that the company we loved was on its way toward non-existence. William Howard had recently stepped down as President and CEO of Piedmont, and his replacement, Tom Schick, was onboard, along with a number of other airline dignitaries, most of whom were, for all practical purposes, in a lame-duck environment. 406 was even delivered with a USAir registration, rather than its originally-allocated N404P. While it was still an historic and exciting moment, there was not complete joy.

For me, the highlight of the entire flight was after we landed in Greensboro. As we came to a stop, I looked out the window and saw Piedmont founder Tom Davis himself standing at the bottom of the airstairs. Not only was he a legend, but also a true gentleman. He also had a gift for remembering faces and names, and as I reached the bottom of the steps, he shook my hand and, without hesitation, told me, “Jay, I expect to see some good pictures of our new plane from you.” (He got some!)

On August 5, 1989, Piedmont Airlines ceased to exist, as everything Piedmont became USAir. Altogether, USAir operated 55 out of the 482 737-400s that Boeing built. Still, I always found myself smiling when I would see 406. I knew she was special. Fast forward 25 years. Years ago, under the leadership of Stephen Wolfe and Rakesh Gangwal, US Airways (as the company had since rebranded itself) elected to hitch its wagon to the Airbus narrow-body product. Slowly but surely, 737s were being replaced with a mix of Airbus A319s, A320s, and A321s.

During her time in service with Piedmont/USAir/US Airways, 406 served the company well. She was not involved with any significant incidents, although the number of patches on the fuselage suggests there may have been more than a couple of minor issues throughout her life. She did suffer some minor damage when a loading bridge came in contact with the pitot tubes and angle-of-attack indicator located just in front of the forward entry door. This was not an uncommon problem with the 737 Classics, and a loading bridge operator always has to take extra care with these model 737s. Altogether, seven different engines hung on each wing of 406, and a total of 17 auxiliary power units (APUs) were installed in the tail of 406, and over its lifetime, she underwent many B-Checks and C-Checks. These numbers are fairly consistent with the average maintenance activities of a 737 of this age. For the record, 406 was the first 737-400 to wear the final US Airways color scheme.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. A nice flying portrait of N406US in the final (2005) US Airways color scheme.

Her last revenue flight occurred on August 1, when she arrived from Pittsburgh at Charlotte. Maintenance personnel worked on her for three days, getting 406 ready for her last flight. Finally, early in the morning of August 5, 25 years to the day of the Piedmont/USAir merger, 406 was ready for her last flight as a US Airways-operated trip.

I met Captains Gene Thomas and Doug Christen, who were going to do the honors of flying “Cactus 9240” from Charlotte to Tucson, Arizona. Each of them had several thousand hours in the 737, and although both of them had plenty of seniority to hold positions on the company’s “big iron”, they elected to stay on the 737 until the very end because of their love of the aircraft. Captain Thomas retired shortly after ferrying 406 to Tucson, and Captain Christen has moved on to the Boeing 757/767. They both praised the 737 as being a real “pilot’s airplane”, and will miss flying them. They were both struck by the historic significance of both aircraft 406 and the date, August 5.

As the pilots cranked the engines, it felt a little strange sitting in Row 2 of an empty airplane. Brakes were released at 9:20 am local, and Captain Thomas guided 406 to the end of Runway 36C at Charlotte. A few minutes later, Cactus 9240 was given takeoff clearance. With no passengers or cargo onboard, we were airborne in around 3000 feet at 9:27 am. 406’s final flight had begun.

Since this flight was operated under Part 91 rules, the pilots were permitted to leave the door of the flight deck open, and I was able to enjoy a view not only of the cockpit, but the world beyond the cockpit windows. The pilots were kind enough to take time to explain to me a lot about what goes on behind those perpetually-closed doors. They both talked about their love for the 737. Along with both of them agreeing that it is a plane that pilots fly, rather than program, they both commented on the robustness of the 737 airframe. As one of them noted, “Quite a few of our old 737s have been converted to cargo carriers, and will continue to fly for quite a few years. How many A320s have been converted to freight dogs?”

Unlike the nicely-catered delivery flight 26 years ago, I sat alone in 406’s cabin, eating a Jersey Mike’s sub that I brought along, and drinking a bottle of water that catering left onboard after stripping the interior of any equipment that could be used on other aircraft. It gave me a chance to wander around this historic airplane and savor this one last flight in her. Truth be told, I was probably one of handful of people who really appreciated the significance of 406, but that’s okay. I was given the chance to fly on her this one last time. I am not one who keeps a log of all the planes I have flown in, but I do know that I’d flown in 406 at least a dozen times over the years.

Captain Thomas said that during her final flight, 406 performed flawlessly. She did not produce a single squawk during the flight, and every flight parameter was met or exceeded. Sooner than I would have wanted, we began our descent into Tucson, where we followed an Air Force KC-135 on visual approach to Runway 11L. Captain Thomas greased the lightly-laden 406 onto the runway at 10:09 am local time, and we then taxied back to the facilities of Ascent Aviation Services. Ascent is a premiere narrow body maintenance and storage center located at Tucson International Airport. Several ex-US Airways 737s are stored there, where they will either be readied for a new operator, or broken up and sold for parts. The fate of 406 is uncertain as of this writing. Captain Christen said that typically, a plane will sit for two or three months as their owners look for another operator. After a certain point, it will be scrapped. I would certainly like to see her fly again, as she has plenty of life left in her, but the fate of 406 has yet to be determined as of this writing.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Aircraft in storage at Ascent Aviation Services in Tucson awaiting their fates.

At 10:15 am, Captain Thomas shut down the engines of 406 for the last time as a US Airways flight. Over nearly 26 years, she had accumulated 69967.4 total flight hours, and 47032 cycles. We climbed down the airstairs, and posed for a couple of final pictures. And that was it. The Ascent technicians hooked 406 up to a tug and towed her to a spot in between two other 737s awaiting their fates. I took one last photo of an historic plane, and a special airliner to me, and then I hopped into a truck to take me to the terminal for my flights home. This had been one flight I won’t forget.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. N406US is pushed into its storage spot at Tucson (TUS) next to a Solaseed Air Boeing 737-400 which was just retired.

Boeing 737 Slide Show:

US Airways: