Tag Archives: 737-900

Delta to acquire 20 Embraer E190s and 40 new Boeing 737-900ERs upon pilot ratification of the tentative agreement

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will enter into an aircraft acquisition deal with Boeing for 20 Embraer E190 aircraft and 40 additional new Boeing 737-900ERs upon ratification of a tentative agreement covering more than 12,000 Delta pilots. The tentative agreement was approved for membership ratification on June 10 by the Delta Master Executive Council (MEC) of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).

The tentative agreement provides enhancements to overall pilot compensation—including base pay increases—along with a revision of the airline’s profit sharing formula beginning in 2016. Additionally, this accord would secure additional career advancement opportunities for Delta pilots while providing the airline with productivity enhancements and further fleet flexibility across the airline’s U.S. domestic system.

The MEC will put the tentative agreement out to pilots for a ratification vote. If approved, the agreement would have an amendable date of December 31, 2018.

Upon ratification of the agreement, Delta will acquire 20 Boeing-held Embraer E190 aircraft previously operated by another carrier. The E190s will enter mainline Delta service in the fourth quarter of 2016.

“These 98-seat mainline aircraft will be flown by Delta pilots,” Anderson said. “The capability and aptitude of all Delta people has already shown that they are the best in the business at managing a diverse fleet while keeping costs in check and never compromising safety. These cost-efficient aircraft will play a key role as we strive to achieve higher returns for our shareholders, and we thank Boeing for their important partnership.”

The E190 will be deployed on U.S. domestic routes to improve the flying experience for Delta customers and continue the shift of flying away from inefficient 50-seat regional jets as part of the company’s successful upgauging strategy.

Delta will also order an additional 40 new Boeing 737-900ERs, augmenting an existing order of the efficient and reliable aircraft to 140 in total. Delta plans to deploy these aircraft as replacements for other narrowbody aircraft scheduled to retire through 2019.

Negotiating committees for Delta and ALPA reached a tentative agreement on June 4. In the ensuing days, the tentative agreement was reviewed and subsequently approved by the Delta MEC on June 10.

In other news, Delta Air Lines (DAL) unveiled the completion of a three-year terminal-wide refurbishment of Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), including the airline’s first private check-in lounge, Delta ONE at LAX. The $229-million Delta project was completed in partnership with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the City of Los Angeles.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-932 ER N809DN (msn 31915) named “The Spirit of Seattle” departs from Los Angeles International Airport.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery):

United Airlines maintenance workers warn shareholders of problems at the airline

United Airlines‘ (Chicago) maintenance workers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has issued this statement:

United Airlines aviation maintenance technicians and related support personnel rallied outside the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Chicago today to warn investors and customers of problems at the airline.

More than 9,000 Teamster aviation maintenance workers are seeking a fair collective bargaining agreement. The workers’ last contract became amendable in January 2013.

The maintenance workers, who are critical to the airline’s operations, are losing patience as the company drags its feet on reaching a fair collective bargaining agreement five years after the United-Continental merger announcement.

“United-Continental workers, shareholders and customers have been loyal through tough times. They have shouldered the burden of myriad problems—including integration and customer service issues—that have taken a toll on United’s earnings and reputation,” said David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “The company appears willing to risk United’s turnaround by provoking a labor dispute with its aircraft maintenance technicians and related workers. And the timing couldn’t be worse.”

United Airlines came in last among traditional carriers in the JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey released in May.

“As employees and shareholders of this company, we have a long-term interest in the success of the airline and it’s time for management to do the right thing and offer us a well-deserved, industry-leading contract,” said John Laurin, a 29-year United Airlines maintenance technician.

United Airlines aircraft slide show:

United Airlines previews the new United.com website

United Airlines (Chicago) has unveiled the beta version of the company’s new homepage and flight booking features for united.com.

According to the carrier:

“The redesigned website encompasses everything from searching and sorting flight options to reserving and buying tickets. The site offers a sleek, modern and touch-friendly design, along with all-new personalized features and tools to help customers select the best flights and travel options to meet their needs.

Customers can browse and book on the preview site by visiting beta.united.com. The airline will officially launch the new united.com this summer after additional customer feedback and further refinements.”

The new flyer-friendly functionality includes:

1. Search, sort and filter your perfect flight: Customers can choose what’s most important to them when booking a flight. Whether it’s Wi-Fi availability, preferred connection cities, aircraft type, in-seat power or the inclusion of nearby cities, customers can sort, filter, include and exclude a variety of preferences to narrow or expand search results.

2. Quicker view of fare and date combinations: Search results automatically display pricing for a 15-day window (7 +/-) to show customers more options, and fares are displayed in “each way” increments to give customers added flexibility and clarity when building their travel itineraries.

3. Upgrade insight: Knowing if upgrades are available for purchase on a particular flight helps customers make more informed booking decisions. Customers can now view upgrade availability and redeem any MileagePlus upgrade prior to purchase on all eligible flights.

4. Widgets working for you: The new homepage features widgets customized to MileagePlus members’ travel histories including a quick-view of upcoming trips, saved searches and alerts, to name a few. (Bonus:Users can select travel and aviation-themed photography for their homepage backgrounds.)

5. Touch-friendly: No matter the device style or device brand, customers will have a seamless, touch-friendly user experience.

“We reimagined the flight booking experience from the ground up,” said Scott Wilson, United’s vice president of merchandising and eCommerce. “Much more than a facelift – we kept our customers’ needs and preferences for personalized travel at the center of the design to offer an entirely new and improved experience altogether.”

In redesigning the site, United also used feedback from customers to improve the features they valued most, making those tools cleaner and easier to use.

United.com by the Numbers:

2,000 visitors per minute
More than $1 million in revenue every hour
Offers flights on more than 100 airlines – the most of any U.S. carrier website
More than 1,400 destinations available

United’s new homepage features customized and personalized options.

Customers can sort, filter, include and exclude a variety of preferences to narrow or expand search results.

After fully launching the new homepage and booking path this summer, United will continue to phase-in additional updated pages and functionality to all of united.com. In the process, customers may be directed to existing pages that reflect the current design.

Bottom Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. (all others images by United Airlines). Boeing 737-924 ER N69826 (msn 42180) with APB Split Scimitar Winglets arrives at Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

United Airlines aircraft slide show:

Turkish Airlines takes delivery of its 125th Boeing airplane

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and Turkish Airlines (Istanbul) yesterday (May 11) celebrated a milestone with the delivery of the airline’s 125th airplane purchased from Boeing – a Next-Generation 737-900 ER (TC-JYO, msn 42013) – and one of 12 airplanes the Turkish flag-carrier will take delivery of this year.

Boeing and Turkish Airlines’ relationship stretches back to 1968 when the airline first purchased one McDonnell Douglas DC-9. In 1974, it began operating the first of the Boeing 7 Series, taking delivery of two 727-200s. Since then, Turkish has grown to become one of the world’s leading carriers and currently operates a mix of Boeing 777-300 ERs and 737 Next-Generation airplanes.

Copyright Photo below: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship Boeing 737-9F2 ER TC-JYM (msn 42011) taxies at Boeing Field (King County) in Seattle.

Turkish Airlines aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines to fly south to Costa Rica from Los Angeles, will also add LAX – BWI service

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will chart new territory this fall when it adds new service between Los Angeles and Costa Rica’s two major international airports, further strengthening its southern California focus city. The eight weekly flights from Los Angeles to San Jose (SJO) and Liberia/Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica, are scheduled to begin October 31 and November 1 respectively, and are in addition to new daily service the carrier will add on September 9 between Los Angeles and Baltimore.

Summary of new Los Angeles (LAX) service:

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 ER N435AS (msn 43292) with APB Split Scimitar Winglets lands at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

Frontier Airlines aircraft slide show:

United Airlines introduces a purple “March of Dimes” Boeing 737-900 ER

United Airlines (Chicago) today (April 16) welcomed a new Boeing 737-900 ER aircraft to its fleet, and while it is not the first of the next generation Boeing planes the company will take delivery of this year, it is the first to feature a vibrant purple fuselage. The pictured commemorative Boeing 737-924 ER N66848 (msn 42188) is specially painted to honor United’s ten years of supporting the March of Dimes and their mission to provide families across the country with care and valuable information on pregnancy and having healthy babies.

Flight UA 2051 departed Seattle’s Sea-Tac airport this morning bound for Chicago O’Hare, filled with customers and United partners who supported the March of Dimes through United’s fundraising efforts. Each guest was personally welcomed aboard the special flight by 2015 March of Dimes National Ambassador Family, long-time United employee Elise Jackson, her son Elijah and husband Todd. United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and the 2015 March for Babies National Chairman John Rainey also personally thanked guests for their meaningful contributions.

N66848 was handed over to the airline on March 30 and also features Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets.

The airline continued:

Over the past nine years, United employees have contributed more than $5.5 million to the March of Dimes and have walked more than 36,000 miles in March for Babies events nationwide. Last year alone, United and its employees raised more than $700,000 for March of Dimes research, education and services. This year, United has committed to raise $1.2 million for the organization, with about half of that from employee efforts. And thanks to the generosity of the passengers on this flight, United has raised $780,000 for the March of Dimes with today’s delivery.

Photo: United Airlines.

United Airlines aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines contract ramp employee falls asleep in the cargo hold, spends 14 minutes in the air

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) late yesterday (April 13) issued these three statements concerning the contract Menzies Aviation employee who fell asleep in the pressurized cargo hold of a Boeing 737-900 which was operating flight AS 448 from Seattle/Tacoma to Los Angeles. Alaska previously replaced their own ramp employees with the contract company. The flight returned to SEA after the flight crew heard noises from the cargo hold after takeoff. The flight later arrived in Los Angeles, minus the wayward employee. Here are the three statements with the last one at the top:

Update 7 p.m.

A ramp employee who fell asleep in the cargo hold of an Alaska Airlines aircraft has been discharged from the hospital. The employee, who works for Alaska contractor Menzies Aviation, passed a drug test this afternoon.

The agent had been on a four-person team loading baggage onto Flight 448, which departed for Los Angeles at 2:39 p.m. The aircraft returned to Seattle after 14 minutes in flight when the captain heard banging beneath the aircraft.

After the landing, the employee, who was in a pressurized, temperature-controlled portion of the cargo hold, walked off the aircraft. He told authorities he had fallen asleep.

The employee started work at 5 a.m. and was scheduled to end his shift at 2:30 p.m. During a pre-departure huddle, the team lead noticed the employee was missing. The team lead called into the cargo hold for the employee and called and texted the employee’s cell phone, but did not receive an answer. His co-workers believed he finished his shift and went home.

All ramp employees have security badges. They undergo full criminal background checks and drug screening prior to being hired. They are also subjected to random drug tests throughout their employment.

There were 170 passengers and six crew members on Flight 448. The aircraft landed in Los Angeles at 6:17 p.m.

Update 4:05 p.m.

Flight 448, bound for Los Angeles, returned to Seattle shortly after departure today after it was discovered that a ramp agent was still in the cargo hold. The aircraft was in the air for 14 minutes.

After landing, the agent, an employee of Menzies Aviation, walked off the aircraft from the front cargo hold, which is pressurized and temperature controlled. Upon exiting, he told authorities he had fallen asleep. The agent was transported to a local hospital as a precaution. We are actively investigating this matter.

Update 3:30 p.m.

Immediately after takeoff, the pilot of Alaska Airlines flight 448, bound for Los Angeles, reported hearing banging from beneath the aircraft. The captain immediately returned to Seattle, declaring an emergency for priority landing. The aircraft was in the air for 14 minutes. After landing, a ramp agent was found inside the front cargo hold, which is pressurized and temperature controlled. The ramp agent appeared OK, and was transported to the hospital as a precaution. We are actively investigating the matter.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 N303AS (msn 30017) taxies to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

Delta and AeroMexico file for antitrust immunity as the relationship expands

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and Grupo Aeromexico (AeroMexico) (Mexico City) have filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking antitrust immunity for a new joint venture on flights between the United States and Mexico.

The application marks a significant step in the creation of a $1.5 billion joint venture that will allow Delta and AeroMexico to compete more effectively on routes between the U.S. and Mexico. The joint venture will provide more options for travelers in both countries, while enabling joint investments by the two airlines, further improving the customer experience.

The request also will be submitted for approval to the Mexican antitrust authorities, the Comision Federal de Competencia Economica (Federal Economic Competition Commission). Upon receipt of the required governmental approvals, Delta and Aeromexico will seek to expand opportunities to co-locate and invest in airport facilities by improving gates, lounges and the overall connecting experience. Additionally the airlines will increase joint sales and marketing initiatives.

Through the proposed joint venture, the airlines will offer an expanded network within Mexico and connections to U.S. business centers in Los Angeles and New York. AeroMexico’s hubs – Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Hermosillo – will give Delta customers greater access to cities throughout Mexico. Delta will provide AeroMexico with a broad North American network via Delta’s key hubs, including Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Salt Lake City and Seattle/Tacoma.

Delta and AeroMexico launched their first codeshare in 1994 and both became founding airlines of SkyTeam in 2000. In 2011, Delta entered into an enhanced commercial agreement with AeroMexico, and in 2012, Delta invested $65 million in shares of Grupo Aeromexico, the parent company of AeroMexico. Currently Delta and AeroMexico offer more than 4,000 weekly codeshare flights, representing more than 80 daily trans-border round-trip flights. A year ago, Delta and AeroMexico opened a joint MRO in Queretaro.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-932 ER N803DN (msn 31919) climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show:

AeroMexico aircraft slide show:

Boeing delivers the 50th airplane to El Al Israel Airlines

El Al Israel Airlines (Tel Aviv) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) today (March 12) celebrated a major milestone with the delivery of the airline’s 50th airplane purchased from Boeing – a Next-Generation 737-900 ER.

Boeing 737-958 ER 4X-EHD (msn 41555) was officially handed over yesterday (March 11).

The delivery is the fifth 737-900 ER for the airline following an order placed for eight between 2011 and 2013. Since taking delivery in 1961 of its first new Boeing airplane, a 707-420, EL AL’s fleet has expanded to include an all-Boeing fleet consisting of 21 737s, seven 747s, six 767s and six 777s.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. The first, Boeing 737-958 ER 4X-EHA (msn 41552), is seen at Amsterdam.

El Al aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines launches the Seattle/Tacoma – Washington Dulles route

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma), today (March 11) launched nonstop daily service between Seattle/Tacoma and Dulles International Airport near Washington. With the addition of Dulles, Alaska customers now have nonstop access to three Washington D.C.-area airports from Seattle/Tacoma, as Alaska also serves Reagan National Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 ER N453AS (msn 36354) with Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hub, also carries the newly updated (after the Super Bowl loss) “Go Russell! – Champions Never Rest” sub-titles (click the photo for the full size view).

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show: