Tag Archives: American Eagle

Envoy Air pilots are now at a critical decision point

Envoy Air (formerly American Eagle Airlines) (Dallas/Fort Worth) is at a critical point in its history. The subsidiary of the American Airlines Group (AAG) has been shrinking as the pilots of Envoy Air continue their often tense negotiations with AAG management. The AAG has been reassigning Envoy aircraft as the Envoy pilot base shrinks.

Now the Envoy MEC, representing the pilots of Envoy, has reached another tentative agreement (TA) with AAG management. This TA will now go to the pilots for their vote. It is likely to be the final vote on a new contract. Sam Pool, Envoy MEC Chairman, has sent this message to the Envoy pilots:

December 7, 2014

Fellow Envoy Pilots,

The Envoy MEC reconvened early this morning in Washington, DC to consider a final proposal from company representatives. After another full day of intense negotiations and discussions, late tonight the MEC approved a tentative agreement (TA), endorsing and supporting its ratification by the membership. The MEC believes this TA is the best obtainable agreement, and provides the best path forward for Envoy pilots given our circumstances.

To say this has been a difficult process is an understatement. All quadrants of our diverse pilot group will be affected by some factors of this agreement, and our reps have not taken this decision lightly. It has been one year since this process began, and to this end, our negotiators, officers and the entire ALPA leadership have ensured that they have achieved as much as possible in return for the re-fleeting of our airline.

We’ve reached a point where the final decision rests with you, and a ratification vote will be conducted in the near future. The MEC is planning roadshows beginning this week, and will conduct several all pilot conference calls. We will provide you a list of specific times and locations for all roadshows and pilot conference calls in a future email.

Thank you for your continued professionalism and support.

In Unity
Sam Pool
Envoy MEC Chairman

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N534AE (msn 10312) of Envoy Air awaits its next assignment from the Chicago O’Hare Airport hub.

American Eagle-Envoy Air aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/American-Eagle-Envoy

Trans States confirms it will operate at least 15 Embraer ERJ 145s for American

Trans States Airlines (St. Louis) has confirmed our previous report that the company will operate at least 15 former Envoy Air Embraer ERJ 145s under the American Eagle brand starting in April 2015 (see update below). The carrier was a former American Connection carrier. The airline issued this statement:

Trans States Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc., has announced that it has finalized an agreement with American Airlines to operate at least 15 Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft under the American Eagle brand. Deliveries are slated to begin in April of 2015 at a rate of two per month until all aircraft are in place.

“We’re thrilled to renew our relationship with American Airlines and are delighted by the current and future opportunities that this growth will provide to our employees,” said Richard Leach, President and Chief Executive Officer of Trans States Airlines. “We look forward to providing American Airlines with the same safe, efficient and quality-focused service that our mainline partners have come to expect.”

“The Embraer 145s are an important part of our regional operation to ensure customers in small- and medium-size markets can access our growing global network from their communities,” said Kenji Hashimoto, senior vice president of regional carriers for American Airlines. “Trans States Airlines has been a solid regional partner of American Airlines and US Airways for many years, as well as a reliable performer with the E145 aircraft.”

Trans States Airlines previously provided regional service for American under the American Connection brand from 2001 to 2009, and has provided regional service for US Airways nearly continuously since 1993. It currently operates a fleet of 29 Embraer 145s and announced earlier this month that it will operate an additional 36 for United starting in February of 2015.

Update: Trans States Airlines will start operating as an American Eagle carrier on March 4, 2015.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Trans States operated as an American Connection carrier from November 2001 through May 2009. Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N811HK (msn 145256) arrives at Charlotte.

American Airlines Group to move 50 Envoy Air Embraer ERJ 145s to other American Eagle carriers

American Airlines Group (Dallas/Fort Worth) has informed subsidiary Envoy Air (formerly American Eagle Airlines) (Dallas/Fort Worth) that will it transfer 50 Embraer ERJ 145s to Piedmont Airlines (2nd) (Salisbury, MD) and Trans States Airlines (30 aircraft) (St. Louis) starting March 2015. One other carrier that has not been specified will also receive Envoy aircraft. The number of pilots at Envoy has been declining. The pilots of Envoy did not accept the last contract offer from the AAG.

Yesterday Sam Pool, Envoy MEC Chairman, sent the following message to the pilots of Envoy:

November 21, 2014

My Fellow Envoy Pilots –

Today management announced the long-anticipated news that AAG is moving aircraft from Envoy to other carriers. Starting in March 2015, 30 of our Embraer 145 series aircraft will transfer to Trans State Airlines and another express carrier at the rate of 2 aircraft per carrier per month. In 2016, another tranche of aircraft will transfer to Piedmont.

While we are clearly disappointed at the thought of losing four aircraft per month, and the 10 pilot jobs each aircraft represents, the harsh fact is that Envoy is currently losing pilots at an even faster rate as our colleagues seek more rewarding careers elsewhere.

We are beyond disappointed that the sacrifice of economic and operational flexibility that this workgroup provided to our parent corporation during the darkest hours of bankruptcy are now considered insufficient and we again find ourselves facing the demands of concessions in exchange for a viable future.

That said, our disappointment should not cloud the reality that we face today. Our reality is that other pilot groups in our segment of the industry have demonstrated their willingness to accept concessions in exchange for new and larger aircraft, and have subsequently agreed to reduce the pilot costs. If we wish to compete in this market, we simply have no choice but to recognize that reality and decide a course of action.

While it is true that AAG is honoring our bankruptcy contract, the unpleasant fact is that they believe that they can obtain lower cost regional flying from other carriers, and have demonstrated that they will award new aircraft and new flying to those other carriers, leaving our contract and our pilots in an awkward status quo.

AAG’s senior management has made it clear that they desire the new aircraft be flown by the pilots of Envoy. And they have also made it clear that they believe we should cost less. For these reasons, they have remained quietly engaged with your MEC in an attempt to effectuate a mutually acceptable agreement that gently nudges our forward looking economics closer to the perceived market in exchange for the enhanced career security sought by our workgroup.

The entire MEC remains committed to working with the company to find an agreement that satisfies the needs of both parties, and which we can endorse as the best path forward. We believe that such an agreement is within reach.

Thank you for your professionalism and patience, and as always don’t hesitate to contact your representatives.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/Airlinersgallery.com. Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N928AE (msn 14500911) operated by Envoy Air arrives in Baltimore/Washington.

American Eagle-Envoy Air:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/American-Eagle-Envoy

American Airlines to introduce Bombardier CRJ900 to the DFW hub on November 6

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) will introduce the Bombardier CRJ900 to the Dallas/Fort Worth hub starting on November 6. Mesa Airlines (Phoenix) will operate the type initially on American Eagle services to Albuquerque, El Paso, Fayetteville and Greenville/Spartanburg per Airline Route. On November 16 this operation will expand with a Huntsville, AL route. Colorado Springs, Little Rock, Louisville, Lubbock, Oklahoma City and Wichita will be added from DFW on December 2. Finally Montrose, CO will be added on December 18.

In May 2014 Mesa Airlines announced they had reached an agreement with American Airlines to operate six more CRJ900s for American bringing the total CRJ900s to 51 aircraft.

In other news, American is also introducing the Embraer ERJ 175 on additional routes. Effective November 6 the Embraer 175 will be operated from the Chicago (O’Hare) hub to Columbus, OH. On the same date from the Miami hub, the E175 will operate to Louisville, Nashville, New Orleans and Pittsburgh. From New York (JFK) the E175 will be assigned to the Pittsburgh route also starting on November 6.

Finally on December 18, the Embraer 175 will be added on additional routes from the Miami hub to Cleveland, Key West and Nassau.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Mesa Airlines’ Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) N944LR (msn 15075) is pictured at Long Beach, California.

American Airlines (current) Aircraft Slide Show:

American Eagle-Mesa Aircraft Slide Show:

Envoy Air’s Embraer ERJ 145 operations continue to shrink, the Miami pilot and FA base to be phased down by April 2015

Envoy Air (formerly American Eagle Airlines 2nd) (part of American Airlines Group) (Dallas/Fort Worth) continues to shrink its Embraer ERJ 145 operations as its parent continues to replace its flying with larger aircraft from other associated AE carriers..

Pedro Fábregas, President and CEO of Envoy, has informed its employees that the parent American Airlines Group has decided to phase down and finally close the Miami pilot and flight attendant base in April 2015.

According to the memo, with the December 18 schedule, Envoy will operate 37 daily departures from Miami International Airport (MIA), using 12 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145 (EMB-145) regional jets. This is a big drop off from the 60 flights operated at the hub on October 1, 2014 with its 23 ERJs. The ERJ 145 aircraft and crews that will no longer be needed in MIA will be assigned to replace Envoy operations in other locations for the planned retirement of the 44-seat ERJ 140 (EMB-140) aircraft.

No Envoy pilots or flight attendants will be furloughed as a result of the schedule change.

Envoy is phasing out its pilot and flight attendant base in MIA. This will begin in January 2015 and will be completed by April 2015.

Republic Airlines will replace the smaller Envoy ERJ 145s with its newer and larger Embraer ERJ 175s.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Envoy Air’s Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N697AB (msn 14500875) taxies to the runway at the Chicago O’Hare hub.

American Eagle-Envoy Air:

American to restore service from LaGuardia Airport to Atlanta on January 6

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is resuming service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Atlanta starting on January 6, 2015. The restored daily route will probably be operated by Envoy Air under the American Eagle brand with Bombardier CRJ700s according to Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Envoy Air’s Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N543EA arrives in Raleigh-Durham.

American Eagle-Envoy Air:

Piedmont Airlines’ pilots approve the new contract, will fly American Eagle jets

Piedmont Airlines’ (2nd) (US Airways Express and American Eagle) (Salisbury, MD) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), voted to ratify amendments to their current agreement with the company. With 86 percent of the pilot group participating in the ballot, 77 percent of those pilots voted to approve the modifications to their current contract, which includes plans to refleet the airline as well as guaranteed opportunities for Piedmont pilots with the airline’s parent company, American Airlines.

“With much of our fleet of Dash 8s nearing replacement age, we needed to look long term as to what was best for the pilots on the property now, and what would provide career options for pilots just joining Piedmont,” said Capt. Bruce Freedman, chairman of the Piedmont unit of ALPA.

Under the modified agreement, Piedmont pilots can now take advantage of a seniority-based flow-through procedure to fly at American Airlines, and pilots have secured flying at Piedmont by obtaining minimum fleet commitments. In exchange, Piedmont pilots agreed to increase their share of medical premium payments and, over time, revise pay scales to reflect more commonly used industry approaches.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The Bombardier DHC-8 turboprop fleet is gradually being repainted. However the Dash 8s will need to be replaced and this new agreement paves the way for the company to fly American Eagle jets in the future. Bombardier DHC-8-314 N329EN (msn 290) departs from the Charlotte hub.

US Airways Express-Piedmont Airlines:

American Airlines Group to transfer all 47 Bombardier CRJ700s from Envoy Air to PSA Airlines

American Airlines Group (Dallas/Fort Worth) has decided to transfer all 47 Bombardier CRJ700s (and the associated flying) from subsidiary Envoy Air (formerly American Eagle Airlines) (Dallas/Fort Worth) to subsidiary PSA Airlines (2nd) (Dayton). This will leave Envoy Air as an Embraer ERJ operator. AAG is likely to continue phasing out its smaller regional jets. The pilots of Envoy Air and the AAG failed to agreed on a new contract. Will Envoy Air follow the same path as Delta’s Comair?

Bill Sprague, representing the Envoy Air pilots, issued this statement to its member pilots:

The MEC is outraged by this announcement by AAG that all 47 of our CRJ700 aircraft will be transferred to PSA. This action obviously and significantly punishes Envoy pilots for refusing to accept the additional concessions demanded by the company in exchange for larger aircraft. We are not aware of any plans to bring additional aircraft to Envoy. Therefore the company’s recent commitment to keep 200 aircraft on the property for the foreseeable future is no more credible than their promise to re-fleet Envoy as part of the bankruptcy contract.

We are evaluating the details related to the transfer of these aircraft to PSA. This action will eliminate the highest levels of compensation available under our contract.

Once again, we find ourselves wondering what the future holds for our carrier. The company has already announced their intention to park the remaining Embraer 140s. Barring any additional aircraft, we will only be operating a fleet of 118 Embraer 145s. This would require roughly 48% fewer pilots than are active on our seniority list today. We will provide you the company’s draw down schedule when they provide it to us.

The company has indicated that moving these aircraft to PSA is necessary to more efficiently focus operations on a single aircraft type. In reality, management’s decision clearly exploits the lower costs afforded by the 10 year agreement ratified last fall by our colleagues at PSA.

We understand this is a very stressful time for all of us. Many of you have inquired about the status of our previously advertised career progression resources. The MEC will receive a briefing next Tuesday, the 9th, from ALPA National regarding the rollout of these resources, and details will be communicated as we get them.

Bill Sprague
MEC Chairman

Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N543EA (msn 10323) departs from the runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

American Eagle-Envoy Air:

Envoy Air’s pilots fail to reach an agreement with the American Airlines Group

Envoy Air’s (American Eagle) (Dallas/Fort Worth) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), failed to reach a new agreement with the American Airlines Group (Dallas/Fort Worth) for a new contract. The group had approached the union about reopening discussions on a new contract. Discussions broke down on August 21. According to the union in a message to its members by Bill Sprague, “The effort began with informal discussions to identify and attempt to resolve the areas of the failed TA that were unacceptable to our group. We focused on finding solutions to guarantee that the company would re-fleet our carrier while respecting the value we provide as professionals. Identifying the core issues was easy. Finding mutually acceptable solutions was extremely difficult. The MEC met three times and spent countless hours on conference calls to eventually arrive at a proposal that satisfied those requirements.

On Wednesday, company executives rejected that proposal. Their stated intent is to continue seeking lower feed costs at other Fee for Departure carriers, as they did with Compass.”

The union chairman continued, “The state of our current daily operation shows an inability to attract a sufficient number of recruits, but it also shows that many Envoy pilots are moving onwards and upwards in their aviation careers. In their efforts to operate an airline of our size while lacking the necessary tools to safely do so, the company has found many ways to violate the current collective bargaining agreement. The MEC and leadership are dedicated to protecting and defending the contract. Our contract remains in place. We will enforce it and continue to pursue every opportunity to improve it.

The pilots of Envoy have made it clear: now is time to make this airline an attractive place to work and that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of upper management. This action is essential to ensure the long-term success of our company.”

Envoy Air currently operates more than the 220 aircraft on about 1,300 daily flights to more than 170 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The company’s more than 14,000 employees provide regional flight service to American Airlines under the American Eagle brand and livery as well as ground handling services for approximately 15 airlines, including American.

Envoy Air is headquartered in North Texas with hubs in New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1998 as American Eagle Airlines, Inc. following the merger of several smaller regional carriers to create one the largest regional airlines in the world. On April 15, 2014 the company changed its name to Envoy Air to distinguish the company for the American Eagle brand, under which several carriers operate regional flight service for American.

American Airlines Group is likely to continue to assign new aircraft to other American Eagle carriers as Envoy Air reduces in size unless the two parties resolve their differences.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N668HH (msn 145785) prepares to touch down at Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

American Eagle-Envoy:

American to launch new American Eagle routes from Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) will start daily American Eagle service from its (US Airways) hub to both Jacksonville, FL and New Orleans on September 26. The routes will be operated by Embraer 175 aircraft operated by Republic Airlines (2nd) according to Airline Route.

In addition, American Eagle (operated by ExpressJet Airlines CRJ200s) will launch new daily service from the Dallas/Fort Worth hub to Meridian and Laurel, Mississippi.

Finally American will suspend service on three European routes this winter (resuming next summer): Chicago (“hare)-Dusseldorf, Chicago (O’Hare)-Manchester and New York (JFK)-Dublin per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Operated by Republic Airlines, Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N426YX (msn 17000397) taxies at Baltimore/Washington.

American Airlines (current):

American Eagle-Republic (2nd):