CMA to end Air Canada CPA flying

[westcoastairtime]

wow, what an email to come home to, hope its ok to post, the company said it was announced yesterday morning:

Central Mountain Air and Air Canada have had a long business relationship with Capacity Purchase flying services over the last several years. We wish to advise that CMA was unable to come to an agreement on the rates to provide the service going forward and AC has chosen to offer the flying to another Carrier. This change was not based on performance but simply a business decision. Therefore CMA will discontinue the YYC-YXH-YQL-YXC CPA flying on September 30, 2011.

CMA has utilized 2 of it’s 15 B1900D’s to operate the CPA services and will redeploy the aircraft within our scheduled network and charter operations. We look forward to enhancing and strengthening our scheduled and charter operations from Calgary.

Codeshare flights will continue to operate from the Vancouver hub.

I think we'll be ok in BC and hopefully the guys and gals in Alberta won't have anything to worry about!! the word from the company is no layoffs expected and planes and crew will be shifted within the company for increased company business, also the groundschool later this month will still be happening if that pertains to anyone....anyways we'll see what the future hold...best of luck everyone

[matrix]

I wonder which carrier is taking this over?

[cdnpilot77]

Does it have anything to do with GGN now showing YYC as a base on PCC?

[tincanflyer]

Who's GGN? Georgian?

[cdnpilot77]

Yes

[Mig29]

I would be surprised if it's Georgian as they already pay few bucks more then CMA to their Capts/FOs.

But bottom line is AC is further pursuing the race to the bottom. Should we be surprised?

[WhatThe?]

Why would you assume that the cost of pilots is of any relevance to this conversation? Ask any ALPA member what percentage of a Carrier's costs are the Flight crew's salaries? It is around 2.5-3.5 % of costs. CMA has approx= 400 employees and less than 100 pilots (please correct me), the salaries are low because there is a line of pilots that are willing to accept the current wages. Period.

GGN pays more because:

A: Have to

B: want happier employees

C: See it as a fair wage

D: Want to attract the best candidates

E: Want less turnover

F: All or some of the above


CMA will pay more when they have to, right now they don't have to, so why would they? When you have a private company with limited partners, every $1 spent is $1 less dollar in their pockets. Revenue-costs = profit
No I don't agree with this policy, but hey I don't own an Airline.

Check back with CMA's wages in a year after AC starts to pull 450 pilots out of the talent pool, it may look a little different????

CMA runs a good show, just not a career airline. I guarantee CMA owners thought long and hard about the AC-CPA, they obviously don't need it.

[brooks]

I would enjoy watching some new guy from Georgian shooting the approach into Cranbrook for the first time on min fuel and bad weather. What a joke this is going to be. I hope Westjet will run them into the ground with there new regional network coming.

[bcflyer]

Cranbrook is a no brainer. Not a difficult approach at all. Now if they were doing Castlegar I might agree with you.

[CCR]

We have a new regional network coming? Will that be on the 787 ??

Seems to me that Air BC pilots said the same about CMA pilots flying into places like YXC/YCG etc...

[rigpiggy]

Same Poop regardless, fly the approach at mins, lookup, nothing seen goaround, or in sight landing.

[SAR_YQQ]

Same Poop regardless, fly the approach at mins, lookup, nothing seen goaround, or in sight landing.

Exactly - nothing tricky about any of those mountain approaches in BC. The very high minimums makes it an easy decision to even bother flying to the destination - if it's not VFR+++, don't even bother going.

[YQLRookie]

Wow, that's quite the announcement! So the next big question; who's taking over operations on these flights? Would it be possible that the new enlarged Integra Air (merged with Bar XH Air) would take over operations with their J31s? Gonna miss the CMA B1900s in YQL.

[iflyforpie]

At Cancelgar you can do VFR circuits below IFR minimum....

[r22captain]

I would enjoy watching some new guy from Georgian shooting the approach into Cranbrook for the first time on min fuel and bad weather. What a joke this is going to be. I hope Westjet will run them into the ground with there new regional network coming.

why so mad bro? you need a hug?

[modi13]

Could this also have something to do with GGN purchasing Dash 8s, as per PCC?

[flyincanuck]

Hey Brooks, I'm sure you're a just an all-star maverick. Don't forget these Georgian guys face some pretty tough weather on the East Coast and take in in stride. If I've learned anything, it's that Karma puts on a pretty good show. Careful what you wish for.

[Tiny Tyke]

Will be Air Georgian using the B1900 for sure. Any other CMA(AC Routes) routes out of YYC?

[peeelot]

Hey Brooks

A lot of Georgian guys come from the north and out west and can fly approaches as good as the CMA guys. We are all pilots and our main goal is to get from A to B without killing anyone I know Georgian will do a great and safe job with these routes.

[Stallspin]

.

[Wacko]

I would enjoy watching some new guy from Georgian shooting the approach into Cranbrook for the first time on min fuel and bad weather. What a joke this is going to be. I hope Westjet will run them into the ground with there new regional network coming.

Really?.......wow.....just wow.....

Yep, felt the same way. Can't wait for the industry to deteriorate even more 'cause of stupid mentality of pilots like Brooks.

[Localizer]

Nice .. another pilot pissing match .. just what this industry needs!

I'm sure the CMA guys/gals will be just fine .. but this appears to be the new reality in Canada.

[scopiton]

I would enjoy watching some new guy from Georgian shooting the approach into Cranbrook for the first time on min fuel and bad weather. What a joke this is going to be.

an approach is an approach, if you do what's depicted on the plate you shouldn't be in trouble. If you're not able to do what's on a plate, you shouldn't be flying commercially.
I'm sure the GGN guys will do fine, and I hope all the CMA guys will keep their job.

[AirMail]

Brooks is just mad because he has a hard time in IMC

[Mig29]

Why would you assume that the cost of pilots is of any relevance to this conversation? Ask any ALPA member what percentage of a Carrier's costs are the Flight crew's salaries? It is around 2.5-3.5 % of costs. CMA has approx= 400 employees and less than 100 pilots (please correct me), the salaries are low because there is a line of pilots that are willing to accept the current wages. Period.

GGN pays more because:

A: Have to

B: want happier employees

C: See it as a fair wage

D: Want to attract the best candidates

E: Want less turnover

F: All or some of the above


CMA will pay more when they have to, right now they don't have to, so why would they? When you have a private company with limited partners, every $1 spent is $1 less dollar in their pockets. Revenue-costs = profit
No I don't agree with this policy, but hey I don't own an Airline.

Check back with CMA's wages in a year after AC starts to pull 450 pilots out of the talent pool, it may look a little different????

CMA runs a good show, just not a career airline. I guarantee CMA owners thought long and hard about the AC-CPA, they obviously don't need it.

Hey What The, I had a good chuckle with some of the items you listed above. Have you ever worked for Georgian???

A: Their turnover is constant. The boss even tells you in the face that anymore then 2-3 years and you are unwanted!

B: Employee morale - I don't even know if that word even exists over there anymore. "Happy employees" are as distinct over there as are dinosaurs!

C: Fair wage?? 48K/year second year captain is hardly a fair wage my friend when you live in GTA area

All I'm saying is that GGN pays slightly more then CMA but I don't see why would AC then chose them over CMA. In the end, both CMA and GGN are good places to get log book experience and that's it! You get in, do the job, and get out fast - before life passes you by!

Ps. I know what the pilot cost % of the operation is - I got the same ALPA magazine as you do probably