Delta Air Lines planning to purchase hundreds of new aircraft

by B. N. Sullivan

Big news today: Delta Air Lines plans to acquire hundreds of new aircraft.  According to a Bloomberg article about the planned aircraft purchase, Delta "plans to order 100 to 200 narrow-body jets and seek options for 200 more, a possible record purchase."

Presumably the new planes will replace Delta's older DC-9, Boeing 757-200, and Airbus A320 aircraft.  The new planes would be used on domestic routes.

From the Bloomberg article:

Delta will consider “large, medium and small” narrow-body jets, Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson said yesterday in a separate weekly recorded message to employees.

“It’s important we take a very long-term view of our fleet,” Anderson said.

Speculation is that Boeing, Airbus, and Bombardier all may be asked to submit proposals for the order.  This could be the largest single aircraft purchase to date by any commercial airline.

Crew fatigue cited in Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 taxiway landing at Atlanta

by B. N. Sullivan

A final report has been issued by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding its investigation of a 2009 incident in which a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-332ER aircraft landed on a taxiway at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL).  According to the report, crew fatigue was a major cause of the incident.

At the time of the incident, on October 19, 2009, the aircraft (registration N185DN) was arriving at Atlanta.  The aircraft was operating as Delta Flight 60, a scheduled passenger service from Rio de Janeiro (GIG) to ATL.  The NTSB report summary gives this account of what happened:

During the flight one of the three required flight deck crew members became ill and was considered to be incapacitated.  The remaining two crew members conducted the entire night flight without the benefit of a customary break period.  Throughout the flight the crew made comments indicating that they were fatigued and identified fatigue as their highest threat for the approach, but did not discuss strategies to mitigate the consequences of fatigue.  At the time of the incident, the crew had been on duty for about 12 hours and the captain had been awake for over 22 hours, while the first officer had been awake for at least 14 hours.

During the descent and approach, the flight crew was assigned a number of runway changes; the last of which occurred near the final approach fix for runway 27L While the flight was on final approach, the crew was offered and accepted a clearance to sidestep to runway 27R for landing.  Although the flight crew had previously conducted an approach briefing for two different runways, they had not briefed the approach for runway 27R and were not aware that the approach light system and the instrument landing system (ILS) were not available to aid in identifying that runway.  When the crew accepted the sidestep to runway 27R, the captain, who was the flying pilot, saw the precision approach path indicator and lined the airplane up on what he said were the brightest set of lights he could see.  During the final approach, the first officer was preoccupied with attempting to tune and identify the ILS frequency for runway 27R.  Just prior to the airplane touching down, the captain realized they were landing on a taxiway.  The airplane landed on taxiway M, 200 feet north of, and parallel to, runway 27R.

Postincident flight evaluations of the airport lighting indicated that there were a number of visual cues that could have misguided the captain to align with taxiway M instead of runway 27R while on final approach.  These cues included numerous taxiways signs along the sides of taxiway M which, from the air, appeared to be white and could be perceived as runway edge lights.  In addition, the blue light emitting diode (LED) lights used on the eastern end of taxiway M were perceived to be brighter than the adjacent incandescent lights on the airfield and the alternating yellow and green lights in the ILS critical area provided the appearance of a runway centerline.  The postincident flight evaluations indicated that when the approach lights or the ILS for runway 27R were available and used, it was clearly evident when the airplane was not aligned with the runway.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of this incident to be, "The flight crew’s failure to identify the correct landing surface due to fatigue."

Contributing causes were:

• the flight crew’s decision to accept a late runway change,
• the unavailability of the approach light system and the instrument landing system for the runway of intended landing,
• the combination of numerous taxiway signs and intermixing of light technologies on the taxiway.

No one was injured in the incident.

Here are the links to the NTSB's final report:

• NTSB ID OPS10IA001 - Summary
• NTSB ID OPS10IA001 - Full Narrative

RELATED:  NTSB investigating Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 taxiway landing at Atlanta - AircrewBuzz.com, Oct 21, 2009

Latest FAA fine: $1.45 million civil penalty against Northwest Airlines

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed so many fines against carriers in the U.S. in recent weeks that I feel like I am writing the same story again and again. Last month American Eagle was fined for improper repairs; then earlier this month the FAA fined American Airlines for maintenance violations, and then followed up with a second round a week later.

But wait, there's more!

Yesterday the FAA proposed a $1.45 million civil penalty against Northwest Airlines for operating a number of Boeing B757 aircraft without proper windshield wiring inspections. Here's the story from the FAA:

A 1990 FAA airworthiness directive on Boeing 757s required inspections for the presence of undersized wires in the heating system for both the captain’s and first officer’s windows, and replacement if needed. Left uncorrected, the problem could cause overheating, smoking and possibly a fire.

Northwest wrote maintenance instructions for its mechanics in April 1990 that omitted the required inspection of the wires under the first officer’s window. As a result, 32 of the carrier’s 757s flew more than 90,000 passenger flights between December 1, 2005 and May 27, 2008, while not in compliance with the airworthiness directive.

“Safety is the number one priority for the Department of Transportation,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The FAA has airworthiness directives for a reason and carriers cannot pick and choose when they want to comply.”

On May 28, 2008, Northwest discovered it had not performed the proper inspections and revised its maintenance instructions. However, the instructions did not require the work be performed before further flight, but at the next planned overnight layover. As a result, 29 of the 32 aircraft flew 42 passenger-carrying flights while they were still out of compliance with the airworthiness directive.

“When an air carrier realizes that an airworthiness directive is not being followed the problem must be corrected immediately,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Safety cannot wait for the next scheduled maintenance.”

Makes you wonder who's next?

Northwest pilots who overflew destination settle with the FAA over license revocation

by B. N. Sullivan

The two Northwest Airlines A320 pilots who famously overflew their intended destination this past October have settled with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the agency's revocation of the pilots' licenses. In short, the pilots have dropped their appeal of the revocation. They will be permitted to re-apply for their licenses near the end of August, 2010.

For the benefit of readers who may have been living on a remote desert island for the past five months and who are thus unaware of the details of this drama, here is a synopsis of the story.

On October 21, 2009 Northwest Airlines Flight 188 was en route from San Diego to Minneapolis when radio contact with the aircraft, an Airbus A320, was lost. The aircraft, which was at cruise altitude, was a NORDO (no radio communications) for well over an hour, during which time it overflew its intended destination by more than 100 miles.

At some point, a flight attendant on board contacted the flight deck on an intercom regarding arrival time. According to an early National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report about the incident, neither pilot was aware of the aircraft's position at that time. When the flight attendant called, the pilots looked at their primary flight display and realized that they had passed Minneapolis, and were flying over Wisconsin. The pilots then made contact with Air Traffic Control and were vectored back to Minneapolis where they made a safe, albeit late, landing.

Despite early speculation that the pilots may have been napping, they told the NTSB that they had "lost situational awareness" because they were discussing a new crew scheduling system, and were going over the details on their personal laptop computers. They both said they "lost track of time." Shortly after that admission, the FAA summarily revoked both pilots' licenses. In December of 2009, the pilots announced that they would appeal the revocation, denying that they had "intentionally or willfully" violated any federal aviation regulations.

Yesterday the settlement between the pilots and the FAA was announced. The pilots' suspension by Delta Air Lines (which now owns Northwest Airlines) remains in force while the airline continues its own internal investigation of the incident.

Opinions about this incident among those in the aviation community have run the gamut. Many believe the pilots were unfairly vilified, saying that if the news media had not got hold of the story and sensationalized it, these pilots would have received a slap on the wrist and would still be flying -- especially since no one was hurt or killed, and no airplanes were damaged. At the other end of the spectrum are the less forgiving who believe that this was a serious and irresponsible violation, and that the pilots should never fly again.

Regardless, this slip-up by a pair of high-time, accomplished pilots due to distraction and inattention has cost them a lot -- financially and otherwise. Whether they are able to resume their airline piloting careers or not, the incident has changed their lives forever. If nothing else, it is a cautionary tale.

For the record, here are all of the articles I wrote about this incident here on Aircrew Buzz as events unfolded over time:

• Northwest pilots lose situational awareness, overfly destination - Oct. 22, 2009
• Northwest pilots who overflew Minneapolis tell NTSB they were engrossed, using laptops - Oct. 26, 2009
• FAA revokes licenses of Northwest Airlines 'laptop pilots' - Oct. 27, 2009
• Northwest Flight 188 incident: ATC audio and transcripts released by FAA - Nov. 27, 2009
• Northwest Flight 188 incident: Pilots' appeal documents - Dec. 10, 2009

UPDATE Mar. 18, 2010: Today the NTSB released its probable cause findings for the Northwest Flight 188 incident, along with corresponding safety recommendations arising from the investigation. Linkage:

• Incident/probable cause synopsis for NTSB ID: DCA10IA001
• Full narrative report for NTSB ID: DCA10IA001
• NTSB Safety Recommendations: Documentation of Air Traffic Control Communications - 7-page 'pdf' file

Japan Airlines: Imminent bankruptcy to result in loss of 15,700 jobs

by B. N. Sullivan

Japan Airlines (JAL), which has been struggling financially for some time, is expected to file for bankruptcy tomorrow. As a part of its restructuring plan, the airline will eliminate 15,700 jobs -- one third of its work force, according the the Financial Times. The staff reductions are expected to occur over a period of up to three years, rather than all at once.

"JAL’s bankruptcy could be the largest of a Japanese group outside the financial services sector and would be one of the country’s fifth or sixth-largest," says the Financial Times.

JAL is expected to continue operations during its restructuring. The airline will cease operating more than 20 unprofitable routes.

In 2009, JAL asked pilots, cabin crew, and ground workers to volunteer for two months of unpaid leave, and even suspended part of its pilot training programs to save money. Pensions of pilots and other workers also were reduced.

Two U.S.-based carriers -- American Airlines and Delta Air Lines -- have been embroiled in a bidding war for some of JAL's routes. JAL and American are both members of the Oneworld alliance, but JAL is reportedly considering a move to SkyTeam, which would ally it more closely with Delta, which is already a member of SkyTeam.

Reuters reports:

In recent days, reports have suggested that Atlanta-based Delta, with its strong transpacific route structure, could be irresistible for JAL.

A Japanese newspaper reported on Saturday that JAL has already agreed on a tie-up with Delta.

Reuters also reported that while the Japanese government does not have an official stance on who JAL should ally with, some senior officials in the transport ministry are pushing for JAL to defect to SkyTeam.

Northwest Flight 188 incident: Pilots' appeal documents

by B. N. Sullivan

Are you ready for another update on the Northwest Flight 188 incident? Readers will recall that shortly after the incident (in which the pilots of the Airbus A320 were out of radio contact with air traffic control for an extended period of time and overflew their destination while working on their laptop computers) the FAA revoked the licenses of both pilots. The pilots have since filed appeals seeking to have the license revocations rescinded.

Today a reader forwarded to me an email pass-around that included facsimile copies of the appeal documents as an attachment. Given that I have not seen the original documents, and considering that I received the copies via an email pass-around, I cannot guarantee that the copies are authentic, however they appear to be credible. I have uploaded them to my Web site, and anyone who is interested in having a look at them can access them there: NW Flight 188 Pilot Appeals (13-page 'pdf' file)

Highlights: The pilots deny that they "intentionally or willfully" violated any federal aviation regulations.

They appear to assign blame for the incident to air traffic control, stating:

The air traffic controller(s) did not comply with the requirements of the air traffic control manual and other relevant orders, rules, procedures, policies and practices with respect to Northwest Flight 188, nor coordinate effectively with Northwest dispatch, and such failure was a causal or contributing factor in the incident referenced in the Administrator's Complaint. Respondent asserts that he had a right to rely, and did rely, that the controllers would comply with all relevant orders, rules, procedures, policies and practices. Such reliance justifies a reduction, mitigation, or waiver of sanction.

The appeal goes on to claim that the sanction against them is "not in compliance with Board precedent and policy."

The pilots also claim that there were "mitigating facts and circumstances that caused or contributed to the incident, including but not limited to aircraft systems design and human factors, justifying a reduction, mitigation, or waiver of sanction."

Presumably both pilots will be able to present their case(s) in person at a hearing before the NTSB in the near future.

Northwest Flight 188 incident: ATC audio and transcripts released by FAA

by B. N. Sullivan

You may have read some news reports today about the FAA's release of air traffic control audio and transcripts related to the incident in October in which Northwest Airlines Flight 188 was NORDO for over an hour and overflew Minneapolis, its destination -- also known as the 'laptop pilots' incident. I'm on vacation this week, but thought I'd pop in to post the link to the FAA page where readers of Aircrew Buzz can find those audio files and the transcripts: FAA: Northwest Airlines Flight 188.

For a quick summary of the information contained in the recordings and transcripts, check out this article on FlightGlobal.com.

FAA revokes licenses of Northwest Airlines 'laptop pilots'

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew Minneapolis in an Airbus A320 after having been out of radio contact with the ground for a period of time. The incident happened on October 21, 2009 during a flight from San Diego to Minneapolis.

In a brief press release issued this morning, the FAA said, in part:

The pilots were out of contact with air traffic controllers for an extended period of time and told federal investigators that they were distracted by a conversation. Air traffic controllers and airline officials repeatedly tried to reach them through radio and data contact, without success.

The emergency revocations cite violations of a number of Federal Aviation Regulations. Those include failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

The revocations are effective immediately. The pilots have 10 days to appeal the emergency revocations to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Yesterday the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the pilots said in interviews that, during the flight, they had been using their personal laptop computers while discussing airline crew flight scheduling procedures, and that this had caused them to be distracted.

Delta Air Lines, which owns Northwest Airlines, indicated yesterday that "Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination."

UPDATE Nov. 5, 2009: The two pilots involved in the Northwestern Flight 188 incident have filed appeals with the NTSB regarding the revocation of their licenses. They now face a hearing before a judge within the next 120 days.

Northwest pilots who overflew Minneapolis tell NTSB they were engrossed, using laptops

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has just released a statement regarding its continuing investigation of the Northwest Airlines flight that overflew its destination last week after being out of radio contact with air traffic control for a period of time. The incident occurred on October 21, 2009. Northwest Airlines Flight 188, an Airbus A320, eventually resumed radio contact, turned around and landed safely -- albeit late -- at Minneapolis, its intended destination. The incident has garnered enormous media attention, so today's factual update from the NTSB is welcome.

Here is the actual text of today's NTSB advisory about Northwest Flight 188:

In its continuing investigation of an Airbus A320 that overflew the Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport (MSP), the National Transportation Safety Board has developed the following factual information:

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 5:56 pm mountain daylight time, an Airbus A320, operating as Northwest Airlines (NWA) flight 188, became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 feet. The flight was operating as a Part 121 flight from San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (SAN) to MSP with 144 passengers, 2 pilots and 3 flight attendants.

Both pilots were interviewed separately by NTSB investigators yesterday in Minnesota. The following is an overview of the interviews:

• The first officer and the captain were interviewed for over 5 hours combined.
• The Captain, 53 years old, was hired in 1985. His total flight time is about 20,000 hours, about 10,000 hours of A-320 time of which about 7,000 was as pilot in command.
• The First Officer, 54 years old, was hired in 1997. His total flight time is about 11,000 hours, and has about 5,000 hours on the A-320.
• Both pilots said they had never had an accident, incident or violation.
• Neither pilot reported any ongoing medical conditions.
• Both pilots stated that they were not fatigued. They were both commuters, but they had a 19-hour layover in San Diego just prior to the incident flight. Both said they did not fall asleep or doze during the flight.
• Both said there was no heated argument.
• Both stated there was a distraction in the cockpit. The pilots said there was a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls from ATC even though both stated they heard conversation on the radio. Also, neither pilot noticed
  messages that were sent by company dispatchers. They were discussing the new monthly crew flight scheduling system that was now in place as a result of the merger. The discussion began at cruise altitude.
• Both said they lost track of time.
• Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure. The first officer, who was more familiar with the procedure was providing instruction to the captain. The use of personal computers on the flight deck is prohibited by company policy.
• Neither pilot was aware of the airplane's position until a flight attendant called about 5 minutes before they were scheduled to land and asked what was their estimated time of arrival (ETA). The captain said, at that point, he looked at his primary flight display for an ETA and realized that they had passed MSP. They made contact with ATC and were given vectors back to MSP.
• At cruise altitude - the pilots stated they were using cockpit speakers to listen to radio communications, not their headsets.
• When asked by ATC what the problem was, they replied "just cockpit distraction" and "dealing with company issues".
• Both pilots said there are no procedures for the flight attendants to check on the pilots during flight.

The Safety Board is interviewing the flight attendants and other company personnel today. Air traffic control communications have been obtained and are being analyzed.

Preliminary data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) revealed the following:

• The CVR recording was 1/2 hour in length.
• The cockpit area microphone channel was not working during this recording. However, the crew's headset microphones recorded their conversations.
• The CVR recording began during final approach, and continued while the aircraft was at the gate.
• During the hours immediately following the incident flight, routine aircraft maintenance provided power to the CVR for a few minutes on several occasions, likely recording over several minutes of the flight.

The FDR captured the entire flight which contained several hundred aircraft parameters including the portion of flight where there was no radio communication from the flight crew. Investigators are examining the recorded parameters to see if any information regarding crew activity during the portion of flight where radio contact was lost can be obtained.

The Safety Board's investigation continues.

So, no sleeping, napping or nodding off; no claim of fatigue; no 'heated discussion' or argument -- just two well-rested, very experienced pilots losing situational awareness for an extended period of time because of crew scheduling issues? (Makes you wonder: Just how complex is that bidding system, anyway?)

This story just gets 'curioser and curioser' and leaves so many questions still unanswered. How did they miss the handoff from Denver Center to Minneapolis Center? How could they not have noticed any ACARS messages or SELCAL communications? And so on...

In any case, that's all of the official information for now, folks! Stay tuned for future developments.

UPDATE: Delta Air Lines (which now owns Northwest Airlines) made a public statement about the incident, saying that the two pilots "remain suspended until the conclusion of the investigations into this incident." Then came this elaboration:

Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination.

Probable translation: "Those two pilots are SO fired..."

NTSB investigating Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 taxiway landing at Atlanta

by B. N. Sullivan

Yesterday, the Web was abuzz with rumors about a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 that had mistakenly landed on a taxiway at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). Word of this incident generated a lot of chatter on Twitter and aviation message boards, although the details were sketchy at first. By late afternoon we all learned that the aircraft, which was arriving after a scheduled flight from Rio de Janeiro, had declared a medical emergency shortly before landing; that it had been cleared to land on ATL's Runway 27R; and that it had actually touched down on ATL's Taxiway Mike. Fortunately no one was injured.

The gist of all the conversation about this incident has centered on the question, "How could this happen?"

Apparently the U.S. National Safety Board (NTSB) intends to learn the answer to that question. A short time ago the NTSB announced in a press release that they would investigate the incident. Here is what the press release said:

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the landing of a Delta B-767 on an active taxiway at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL).

According to preliminary information received from several sources, on Monday, October 19, 2009, at 6:05 a.m. EDT, a Boeing B767-332ER (N185DN) operating as Delta Air Lines flight 60 from Rio de Janeiro to Atlanta landed on taxiway M at ATL after being cleared to land on runway 27R. No injuries to any of the 182 passengers or 11 crewmembers were reported.

A check airman was on the flight deck along with the captain and first officer. During cruise flight, the check airman became ill and was relocated to the cabin for the remainder of the flight. A medical emergency was declared and the company was notified by the crew. A determination was made to land at the scheduled destination of ATL.

The flight was cleared to land on runway 27R but instead landed on taxiway M, which is situated immediately to the north and parallel to runway 27R. The runway lights for 27R were illuminated; the localizer and approach lights for 27R were not turned on. Taxiway M was active but was clear of aircraft and ground vehicles at the time the aircraft landed. The wind was calm with 10 miles visibility.

Night/dark conditions prevailed; twilight conditions began at about 7:20 a.m. EDT and the official sunrise was at 7:46 a.m. EDT.

A team of four from the NTSB, led by David Helson, is investigating the incident.

This instance was not the first time a commercial aircraft mistakenly landed on (or took off from) a taxiway instead of a runway. It was this crew's good fortune that the taxiway was not occupied at the time they landed, so there was no collision, however the consequences could have been catastrophic.

I know there's a lot of speculation going on about this incident, not just within the aviation community, but among travelers as well. It's important for future safety to understand how this incident happened, of course, but everyone should remember that it's not possible to second-guess what happened on that flight deck. Now that the NTSB is involved, I think we can be reasonably confident that they will get to the bottom of things. Meanwhile, I hope everyone refrains from the 'blame game' while the investigation is underway. Let's remember that the purpose of such an investigation is to understand the process that led to the error, not to name culprits.

[Photo Source]

NTSB investigating two recent Airbus A330 'speed and altitude indication anomalies'

by B. N. Sullivan

The afternoon, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an advisory announcing the investigation of "two recent incidents in which airspeed and altitude indications in the cockpits of Airbus A-330 aircraft may have malfunctioned."

The NTSB advisory describes the incidents as follows:

The first incident occurred May 21, 2009, when TAM Airlines flight 8091 (Brazilian registration PT-MVB) flying from Miami, Florida to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in cruise flight. Initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in indicated outside air temperature, followed by the loss of the Air Data Reference System and disconnections of the autopilot and autothrust, along with the loss of speed and altitude information. The flight crew used backup instruments and primary data was restored in about 5 minutes. The flight landed at Sao Paulo with no further incident and there were no injuries and damage.

The Safety Board has become aware of another possibly similar incident that occurred on June 23 on a Northwest Airlines A-330 (registration unknown) flying between Hong Kong and Tokyo. The aircraft landed safely in Tokyo; no injuries or damage was reported. Data recorder information, Aircraft Condition Monitoring System messages, crew statements and weather information are being collected by NTSB investigators.

Further information on both incidents will be released when it becomes available.

For what it's worth, a chilling story about a Delta (i.e., Northwest) A330-300 incident has appeared on several aviation message boards over the past day or two. I tend to view undocumented stories on message boards with some skepticism, and as regular readers of Aircrew Buzz know, I am not inclined to report rumors. But I must admit that when today's NTSB advisory showed up in my email inbox my first response was to revisit one of the message boards where I had seen the Delta A330 story to see if my memory of what I had read was correct.

The story described a marked drop in indicated outside air temperature, the loss of airspeed and altitude information, and the sudden disengagement of the autopilot and autothrust. The failure was said to have lasted about three minutes. The details of the story (aircraft type, carrier, route, date) did indeed match those in the above NTSB advisory. The source of the message board story is purported to be a crew member from the flight in question.

Fortunately that story had a favorable outcome, as did the TAM flight mentioned in the NTSB advisory. One cannot help but wonder if indeed something similar happened to Air France Flight 447, but with a different and hugely tragic outcome.

Let's hope that the NTSB, the French BEA, and other agencies will be able to get to the bottom of these apparently similar incidents before we have another occurrence that is irrecoverable.

Delta proposes early retirement plan to ALPA to counter 'pilot staffing overage'

Delta Air Lines has too many pilots. That is the gist of the reason why the carrier has proposed "a pilot retirement incentive program" to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents Delta's 12,000 pilots.

According to a letter from the chairman of the Delta unit of ALPA to the pilot membership, the proposed pilot retirement incentive program is "designed to address what management perceives to be a current pilot staffing overage." The letter to the pilots from Lee Moak, chairman of the Delta Master Executive Council (MEC) of ALPA, was reprinted in today's Atlanta Business Chronicle.

The letter says that the proposal was presented to the union's Negotiating Committee late last month.

Under the terms of the proposal, active pilots who have met certain age and length-of-service metrics would be eligible to participate in the program. Participating pilots would receive a severance payment, medical and dental benefits for a limited period of time and retiree travel benefits.

The Negotiating Committee plans to meet soon with Delta management to begin discussions regarding the proposal. The number of pilot jobs Delta is seeking to eliminate was not specified.

Separately, the Negotiating Committee also is engaged in discussions with management about details relating to Delta's recently announced closure of the 747-200 categories (both in Anchorage and Minneapolis) and the Anchorage base.

Earlier this year, Delta Air Lines offered a voluntary buyout program to reduce staff in conjunction with a capacity reduction. Delta pilots were not eligible for that program.

Aircraft separation incident blamed on San Juan CERAP controllers

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a very brief probable cause report on an aircraft separation incident that occurred over the Atlantic Ocean, north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August of 2008. The NTSB's investigation of the incident concluded that "the San Juan CERAP controllers failure to ensure the two aircraft were properly separated using non-radar separation standards."

The NTSB report recounts the incident, as follows:

On August 28, 2008, at approximately 1837 Atlantic standard time, Russian Registered Transaero flight 554, a Boeing 744, and Delta Airlines flight 845, a Boeing 738, came within zero feet vertical and 1 minute lateral separation (15 minutes is required in non-radar environment) at FL330 179N San Juan, PR. Transaero 554 descended 200-300 feet due to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) resolution alert. [NTSB ID: OPS08IA014B]

As reported soon after the incident here on Aircrew Buzz, the Transaero Boeing 747-400, operating as Flight TSO 554, was en route from Moscow Domodedovo International Airport to Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic. The Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800, operating as Flight DAL 485, was en route from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New york to Piarco International Airport in Trinidad.

The San Juan CERAP (Combined En Route Radar Approach Control) is the only such facility in the Caribbean.

2,100 Delta employees volunteer for buyouts

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that 2,100 Delta Air Lines employees have volunteered to take buyouts as the carrier seeks to reduce its work force. The 'voluntary programs to adjust staffing' -- including early retirements and severance -- were announced by Delta in December in conjunction with its planned capacity reduction.

Last month, Delta said it was seeking to eliminate about 2,000 jobs, or about 2.7 percent of its workforce. Workers with at least 10 years of service whose age and seniority add up to at least 55 were offered a severance package that would include two weeks of pay for each year of service, plus travel privileges and health insurance for a specified period.

In a message to employees, Delta CEO Richard Anderson said, "Passengers, our customers, are not buying tickets at rates they were buying tickets a year ago. Obviously, we wish we didn't have to decrease our capacity, but we cannot fly our airplanes around at low load factors."

How to Paint a Boeing 747-400 in Three Minutes

Last month we all got an initial glimpse the first Boeing 747-400 in Delta Air Lines livery. The aircraft had been a part of the Northwest Airlines fleet, prior to that airline's merger with Delta.

Now Delta Air Lines has released a terrific time-lapse video showing the process of converting the aircraft's Northwest livery to Delta colors -- going from primer to pre-departure in just three minutes. Here it is:



If the video does not display or play properly above, click here to view it on YouTube. The video also is posted on the Delta Air Lines blog, which was where I first saw it.

Northwest Boeing 747-400 sports new Delta Air Lines livery

Delta Air Lines has introduced the first Boeing 747-400 in new Delta livery. An item on the Delta Air Lines Blog, which included the photo at right, said, "Ship 6305 is the first of 16 747-400s operated by Northwest Airlines, now a part of Delta, to be rolled out of a hangar in Victorville, CA in the new paint scheme."

Although anti-trust regulators at the U.S. Department of Justice approved the Delta-Northwest merger in late October of this year, the two carriers continue to operate under two separate FAA operating certificates. Until such time as a single operating certificate is granted for the combined airlines -- anticipated some time in 2009 -- this aircraft and others from the Northwest fleet will continue to be flown by Northwest crews under Northwest operating procedures, regardless of livery.

According to Steve Smith (Delta Fleet Captain, Boeing 747 Fleet), "...you’ll be able to tell what is operated under the Northwest certificate by a label affixed to the side of the plane that reads, 'Operated by Northwest Airlines, Inc.' Air Traffic Controllers will also tell us apart when we’re taxiing around airports worldwide with our new FAA call sign that distinguishes Northwest planes 'in Delta colors'."

[Photo Source]

Furloughs Coming with Delta Air Lines 2009 Capacity Reduction?

Earlier today Delta Air Lines management announced plans to decrease systemwide capacity, for both Delta and Northwest, during 2009. The global economic recession and weaker demand for air travel were cited as reasons.

Plans call for domestic capacity to be reduced 8-10%, along with a 3-5 % reduction in international capacity. Delta's systemwide capacity in 2009 will be down by 6-8%, year over year.

So said a memo to Delta's more than 75,000 employees from CEO Richard Anderson and President Edward H. Bastian. The memo also said:

We are taking these actions to secure your careers and return us to sustained profitability. In the meantime, we are analyzing the impact on staffing as it pertains to these capacity reductions and, as in the past, we will offer voluntary programs to adjust staffing needs. We will continue to make decisions that are in the long-term interest of our colleagues, customers, shareholders and the communities we serve.

No word (yet) on what might happen if those 'voluntary programs' do not result in the required number of staff reductions. Stay tuned.

Northwest Airlines Flight Attendants to Testify on Delta-Northwest Merger Effects

Tomorrow, November 13, 2008, Northwest Airlines flight attendants will testify before the Metropolitan Affairs Committee for the State of Minnesota and Representative Debra Hilstom.  The Committee is investigating how the merger of Northwest Airlines with Delta Air Lines will impact the contracts the state has with the carrier.  The Northwest flight attendants, represented by he Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), will testify at the hearing alongside union representatives of other work groups at Northwest.

Northwest Airlines flight attendants have been concerned about the loss of union representation ever since the plans to merge Northwest and Delta were first announced.  In a statement about the upcoming hearings in Minnesota, Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President, said, "We applaud the state of Minnesota on their continued commitment to evaluating the potential consequences of the merger on the state and citizens of the state.  This merger has the potential to break the long standing commitments with Minnesota that has enabled Northwest Airlines to become a viable and successful merger partner, and it also threatens to break Northwest flight attendants’ contract and eliminate the union and destroy over 60 years of collective bargaining rights."

Delta Air Lines flight attendants have never had union representation.  Now that the merger is official, the combined the Delta-Northwest flight attendant group must vote to become members of AFA-CWA. According to the rules of the National Mediation Board (NMB), which oversees such representational elections, if less than 50 percent of Delta and Northwest flight attendants participate in the election, the NMB will declare that vote invalid and Northwest flight attendants will lose their contract.

UPDATE Nov. 14, 2008:  The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) issued a media release about Northwest flight attendants testimony before the State of Minnesota Metropolitan Affairs Committee yesterday.

Excerpt:

“We are very concerned that this merger can be used as an opportunity to break Northwest flight attendants’ contract, eliminate our union and destroy our collective bargaining rights,” said Rene Foss, an AFA-CWA Northwest flight attendant. “Without the protections of our collective bargaining rights, it is likely that management will drive down wages, benefits, work rules and eliminate jobs altogether.”

Due to archaic National Mediation Board (NMB) guidelines, because Delta flight attendants are not represented, the combined work group must vote to become members of AFA-CWA. If less than 50 percent of Delta and Northwest flight attendants participate in the election, the NMB will declare that vote invalid and Northwest flight attendants will lose their contract.

“As Delta and Northwest flight attendants prepare for an AFA-CWA representation vote, it is imperative that Delta management remain neutral in this election. If they are successful in keeping the ‘new Delta’ non union, we could see this merger as the beginning of the end of good jobs in the airline industry, the state of Minnesota and our country as a whole,” said Foss.

Delta management recently began their campaign to pit the flight attendants at both carriers against each other by informing non-union Delta flight attendants that they would be receiving a raise unlike their Northwest colleagues. AFA-CWA leadership quickly responded to the announcement by informing Delta management that the Northwest flight attendant contract does not exclude raises and encouraged management to meet with AFA-CWA leaders.

The Delta-Northwest Merger is a Done Deal

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced their merger plans last April, and several days ago anti-trust regulators at the U.S. Department of Justice signed off on the deal. With that, Northwest Airlines is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta. The merged airline, called Delta and headquartered in Atlanta, has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide. According to a Delta press release about the merger, the company "will distribute an equity stake to substantially all U.S.-based employees with international employees participating through cash payments in lieu of stock."

Delta's management has promised "that no frontline employees will be involuntarily furloughed as a result of the merger and that no hubs will be closed," and that they have "implemented a seniority protection policy that ensures that frontline employees of both airlines will be provided seniority protection through a fair-and-equitable process."

The two pilot groups have a single collective bargaining agreement with Delta. It remains to be seen whether or not the 21,000 flight attendants of the merged airline will ultimately have union representation. Northwest's flight attendants are unionized, while Delta's have not had a union.

Integrating the two work forces is already underway. I understand that Northwest crews are being fitted for their Delta uniforms, and that pilots, flight attendants, and customer service agents will begin wearing them on March 30, 2009.

Best wishes to everyone at the new Delta as they go through the process of integrating their operations. Here is a video tribute to the Delta-Northwest merger.



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to stejensen for posting the video to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

NMB dismisses claims that Delta Air Lines interfered with union certification election

The flight attendant profession suffered an insulting blow this week when the U.S. National Mediation Board (NMB) dismissed charges by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) that Delta Air Lines management illegally interfered with a union certification election earlier this year. The NMB, which is the federal agency charged with protecting the rights of workers in the U.S. transportation industry, apparently has decided to turn a blind eye to alleged union busting activities instead of properly investigating the charges. In a 2-1 vote, the three-member Board "determined that the AFA failed to state a prima facie case of interference."

When the intended merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines was announced nearly six months ago, the collective bargaining rights of the "new" airline's flight attendants immediately became an issue of serious concern. Northwest Airlines flight attendants are represented by the AFA, while Delta's flight attendants have never been unionized. Once the merger is complete, Northwest's flight attendants risk losing their currently held right to participate, through collective bargaining, in decisions about issues and policies that affect them directly.

Delta's management team has been, and continues to be, openly opposed to unionization, instead pursuing a paternalistic policy of telling workers what is best for them. This stance was demonstrated during the recent election to certify the AFA as the collective bargaining unit for Delta's flight attendants. For example, during the voting period, signs were posted in flight attendants' crew lounges urging them to tear up their ballots and voting information before even bothering to read about their rights. It was tactics such as this that prompted the AFA to file election interference charges with the NMB. Now it appears that, instead of protecting workers' rights, the NMB has chosen to be complicit in suppressing them.

In a statement to the press regarding the NMB's refusal to investigate the charges presented to the Board by the AFA, the union's International President, Pat Friend, said, "In yet another failure of a government regulatory agency to hold a corporation accountable, the NMB refused to investigate any of the numerous allegations of misconduct by Delta management.

"Despite very specific and an overwhelming number of instances of management intimidation and interference with the right of employees to join a union, the majority of the NMB decided to accept Delta management’s denial of having done any of the things their flight attendants witnessed," Friend continued.

"This NMB has forgotten its stated mission: to promote and protect effective collective bargaining and representation; and has once again sided with corporate America to deny workers the right to a voice in their workplace. It is long past time to hold this agency accountable for their support of the corporate agenda," said Friend.

For the record, it should be noted that the dissenting member of the three-member NMB, Harry Hoglander stated that he "believes[s] [AFA] has established a prima facie case of election interference and that the [NMB] should conduct an investigation." Additionally Mr. Hoglander finds that "the dismissal by the Majority of the Board of the Association of Flight Attendants’ allegations of well over four score incidents of interference without an investigation sets the wrong precedent. The premise being that if these allegations were true they might reasonably have tainted the laboratory conditions necessary for an election."

Thank you Mr. Hoglander.