Tag Archives: Bombardier CRJ700

Alaska Airlines to expand its relationship with SkyWest Airlines with new Embraer 175s and three new cities

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) announced today it is expanding its partnership with SkyWest Airlines (St. George, Utah) with the addition of three new destinations from Alaska’s Northwest hubs. Flying on new Embraer ERJ 175 jets (a new type in Alaska colors), Alaska will begin offering daily nonstop service starting on July 1, 2015 between Seattle/Tacoma and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Seattle/Tacoma and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Portland, Oregon and St. Louis.

The 76-seat E175 jet will feature 12 seats in first class and 64 in coach, and boasts cabin dimensions on par with a Boeing 737. Onboard amenities include Wi-Fi Internet access, streaming inflight entertainment and 110 volt power in every first class seat. Food and beverage will include hot meals and picnic packs for purchase, in addition to Northwest microbrews and wine.

SkyWest has purchased seven Embraer E175 aircraft to fly on behalf of Alaska under a capacity purchase agreement (CPA). The first three aircraft will arrive in the summer of 2015, and the remaining four will be delivered in the first quarter of 2016.

SkyWest operates for Alaska Airlines as Alaska SkyWest.

“The E175 is new for the Alaska brand and fills a specific need to serve ‘long, thin routes’ – destinations that are too distant for our regional aircraft, but currently don’t have enough customer demand to fill a mainline jet,” said Andrew Harrison, senior vice president of planning and revenue management for Alaska Airlines. “The smaller, but spacious, E175 jet will not only open up new cities, but provide feed traffic to our Northwest hubs, while giving customers a comfortable experience on these longer flights.”

Today, SkyWest flies 40 flights a day between 14 cities for Alaska Airlines and by August 2016, that will increase to 52 flights a day to 17 cities.

Alaska Airlines has been growing its Seattle/Tacoma hub, this year launching service to six new cities which include Albuquerque, Baltimore/Washington, Cancun, Detroit, New Orleans and Tampa. With the addition of these new SkyWest-operated flights, next summer Alaska will offer 298 peak-day departures to 81 destinations from Seattle/Tacoma – three times any other carrier. From Portland, starting in July Alaska Airlines will offer 125 peak-day departures to 44 destinations – more than any other carrier.

In related news, SkyWest confirmed its order for seven Embraer 175s with this announcement:

SkyWest, Inc. and Embraer have confirmed a firm order for seven E175 jets. The aircraft will be flown by SkyWest Airlines under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Alaska Airlines. The value of the firm order, which will be included in Embraer’s 2014 fourth-quarter backlog, is estimated at $301 million, based on 2014 list prices.

These aircraft are part of SkyWest’s previous order for 100 (40 firm and 60 reconfirmable), E175 current generation E-Jets – with an additional 100 options – placed in May 2013, taking the firm order number to a total of 47. The E175s for Alaska Airlines will be configured with 76 seats including 12 First Class seats. Deliveries are schedule to begin in the second semester of 2015.

SkyWest Airlines operates a fleet of approximately 15 E175 and 39 EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft. ExpressJet Airlines operates 226 aircraft of the ERJ 145 family and is the largest ERJ operator in the world.

In a separate deal with Embraer, announced in June of 2013, SkyWest became the launch customer of the E175-E2, ordering 100 aircraft with 100 additional options, for deliveries beginning in 2020.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. SkyWest Airlines currently operates 10 Bombardier CRJ900s (CL-600-2C10s) including the pictured N223AG (msn 10010) arriving at Long Beach.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

Alaska SkyWest aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Alaska-SkyWest

Alaska Airlines to end Seattle/Tacoma-Long Beach flights

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will end the Seattle/Tacoma-Long Beach route on January 6, 2015 per Airline Route. The route is operated twice-daily under contract by SkyWest Airlines with their Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets under the Alaska SkyWest banner.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. SkyWest Airlines’ Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N225AG (msn 10033) lands in Long Beach.

Alaska SkyWest aircraft slide show:

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:

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:

United Airlines to start San Francisco-Montrose, Colorado flights

United Airlines (Chicago) will start twice-weekly United Express service, operated by SkyWest Airlines (St. George, UT) CRJ700s, between its San Francisco hub and Montrose, CO on December 20 per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N763SK (msn 10228) of SkyWest Airlines departs from Los Angeles.

United Airlines (current):

United Express-SkyWest:

American and US Airways announce eight new domestic routes

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth), together with US Airways (Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix), today announced the addition of eight new domestic routes from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago (O’Hare), Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Phoenix, providing customers increased access to the combined airline’s global network. Scheduled to launch this fall, the new routes include service to five destinations in the Midwest, including Bismarck, North Dakota, a new destination for the combined carrier.

Beginning September 3, 2014, customers in Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR) will have access to twice-daily nonstop regional service to both Charlotte and Philadelphia. These routes will be operated as US Airways Express with Bombardier CRJs.

The remaining routes will launch on October 2 and include service between:

Charlotte and Evansville, Indiana (EVV), operated three times per day as US Airways Express with a Bombardier CRJ

Charlotte and Fort Wayne, Indiana (FWA), operated daily as US Airways Express with a Bombardier CRJ

Chicago (O’Hare) and Bismarck (BIS), operated daily as American Eagle with an Embraer ERJ 145

Dallas/Fort Worth and Bismarck, operated daily as American Eagle with an Embraer ERJ 145

Philadelphia and Fort Wayne, Indiana, operated twice-daily as US Airways Express with a Bombardier CRJ

Phoenix and Cleveland (CLE), operated daily by US Airways with an Airbus A320

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. PSA Airlines’ (2nd) Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N703PS (msn 10137) arrives back at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) hub.

Video: US Airways continues to repaint its fleet in the new American livery:

American Airlines (current):

US Airways:

US Airways Express-PSA Airlines:

American Eagle Airlines officially becomes Envoy Air

American Eagle Airlines, Inc. (2nd) (Dallas/Fort Worth) yesterday (April 15) officially changed its name to Envoy Air, Inc.

Envoy Air Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group (Dallas/Fort Worth) operating more than the 220 aircraft on about 1,300 daily flights to more than 170 destinations. The company’s more than 14,000 employees provide regional flight service to American Airlines under the American Eagle brand and livery and ground handling services for approximately 15 airlines, including American.

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. Envoy is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas with hubs in New York, Chicago O’Hare, Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles. On April 15, 2014 the company changed its name to Envoy Air, Inc to distinguish the company for the American Eagle brand, under which several carriers operate regional flight service for American.

The carrier currently operates 47 Bombardier CRJ700s (CL-600-2C10s), 58 Embraer ERJ 140s and 118 Embraer ERJ 145s.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N511AE (msn 10107) of Envoy Air departs from Los Angeles International Airport.

American Eagle-Envoy Air:

United to start nonstop Houston-Boise service starting on August 19

United Airlines (Chicago) will introduced a new daily Bombardier CRJ700 route from the Houston (Bush Intercontinental) hub and Boise, Idaho starting on August 19 per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/Airlinersgallery.com. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N765SK (msn 10231) of SkyWest Airlines climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport.

United Airlines (current):

United Express-SkyWest:

American Eagle’s ALPA pilots reject the “concessionary contract” by 70%

American Eagle Airlines’ (Envoy) (subsidiary of the American Airlines Group) (Dallas/Fort Worth) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have rejected by a 70-30 percent margin the “concessionary contract”. ALPA issued this statement:

American Eagle pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) expressed their collective will and on March 28 rejected a concessionary contract proposed by American Airlines Group (AAG). With 92 percent of the eligible pilots casting their ballots, 70 percent voted against ratification of the contract.

“The Eagle pilots made a clear choice today, and it was not an easy one,” said Capt. Bill Sprague, chairman of the Eagle ALPA Master Executive Council. “Despite threats from AAG management that they would seek other express carriers to conduct our flying, today’s vote demonstrates that the demands for contract concessions were not acceptable. Today’s vote clearly shows that pilots can, and will, vote against any agreement that is not in their best interests.”

The proposed contract changes were a combination of pay freezes, reductions in per diem, and increased health-care costs in exchange for a promise to refleet the airline and enhance the existing agreement to transfer pilots to American Airlines. These concessions were in addition to the $43 million the pilots gave the company during bankruptcy last year.

Having previously worked under a 16-year contract that concluded with AMR’s bankruptcy filing, the American Eagle pilots have not seen meaningful contractual gains since 2004. New-hire pilot pay begins at less than $23,000 per year. Had the contract been approved, first officers would have been capped at about $38,000 per year after four years of service.

“Management has said many times to us that this agreement is their ‘bottom line’ offer and believe that they will be able to get the same cost savings from another provider,” Sprague said. “We question whether any regional airline is able to attract and retain pilots by offering poverty-level wages. American Eagle already has a career progression arrangement with American, and yet, due to a lack of pilots, it’s unable to perform the regional flying that American Airlines desires. Other airlines are experiencing the same problem.”

According to Reuters, American Eagle (Envoy) will shrink.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. Will American Eagle Airlines (soon to be Envoy) go the same way as Comair? CEO Doug Parker, with the looming pilot shortage, now has a difficult decision to make as the pilot unions and members are drawing a line on wages and benefits concessions. The next move is from AAG management. The likely outcome is to gradually downsize Envoy and move large regional jet operations to other American Eagle carriers and gradually phase out the 50-seat ERJs currently operated by American Eagle. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N536EA (msn 10315) of American Eagle (Envoy) arrives at Toronto (Pearson).

American Eagle-Envoy:

American Eagle Airlines to become Envoy on April 15

American Eagles Airlines (2nd) (subsidiary of American Airlines Group) (Dallas/Fort Worth), previously announced and reported on January 14, 2014, will officially changed its name to simply “Envoy”(ENY) on April 15. The carrier will continue to operate under the American Eagle brand. The name change was destined when other carriers started adopting and operating under the American Eagle brand.

The current American Eagle Airlines (2nd) (becoming Envoy) was created on May 15, 1998 when Simmons Airlines was merged with Flagship Airlines and Wings West Airlines. American Eagle retained the Part 121 AOC and MQ (for the Marquette, MI base of Simmons) code of Simmons.

Metroflight (Metro Airlines) and the first airline to operate under the American Eagle name and brand.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N509AE (msn 10078) approaches the runway at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

American Eagle-Envoy: