Scope Clauses Emerge as Major Elements in Pilot Negotiations

Scope Clauses Emerge as Major Elements in Pilot Negotiations
World Airline News, Feb 16, 2001

Scope clauses are components of U.S. major airline pilot contracts that limit the size and number of regional jets within the airline's network. The purpose of a scope clause is to protect mainline pilot job security. Delta Air Lines [DAL] has one of the most flexible scope clauses in the U.S. major airline industry, but the carrier's mainline pilots are proposing more restrictions on Delta Connection carriers, Atlantic Coast Airlines [ACAI], Atlantic Southeast Airlines [DAL], Comair [DAL] and SkyWest [SKYW], who fly regional jets.

The table below provides a current summary of scope clauses at U.S. major airlines.

Regional Jet Limitations by Major Airlines- Scope Clauses
Airline: Alaska
Max. # of Seats: None
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: No restrictions
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 4/3/03
Other Limits: none

Airline: American
Max. # of Seats: 70 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: * Maximum 67 RJs, 45 seats; 25 70
seaters;
none above 70 seats * Actual max. based on # of RJs in AA fleet
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 8/31/01
Other Limits: * Average seating for aircraft operated by commuter can't exceed
50 seats; no flights more than 550 nm; AA fleet growth tied to Eagle RJ growth

Airline: America West
Max. # of Seats: None
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: No restrictions
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 5/1/00
Other Limits: AWA has right of first refusal on any of Mesa's proposed RJ
operations

Airline: Continental
Max. # of Seats: 59 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: No restrictions; RJs up to 59 seats only
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 10/1/02
Other Limits: * If max. seat range is exceeded, Continental pilots will be
given
chance to fly RJs

Airline: Delta
Max. # of Seats: 70 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: No restrictions
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 5/2/00
Other Limits: * None

Airline: Northwest
Max. # of Seats: 69 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: * Can fly up to 54 50-69 seat RJs; * After

2002, RJs at 45 seats can grow a 1:1 ratio with NW * Limits don't apply to
aircraft with 45 seats or less
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 10/2/00
Other Limits: * Up to 36 Avro RJ85s at Mesaba are exempt from seat and weight
limits * Jets operated by Horizon, Continental, Co. Express and certain code
shares are exempt from max. #s

Airline: TWA
Max. # of Seats: 60 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: * Max. 30 RJs * Actual # based on # of
jets
in company fleet
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 10/1/02
Other Limits: * Max. cruise speed of 400 mph * Average seating for all RJS
doesn't exceed 60 seats - On RJ added for every 3 jets added to TWA base of
184,
until 200 reached; After 200, 1 RJ for ever 2 jets added to TWA.

Airline: United
Max. # of Seats: 50 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: * Up to estimated 390 RJs can be added
through 2002, including turboprop replacement
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 9/1/04
Other Limits: * Air Wisconsin's 18 BAe-146s are exempt * UAL must maintain base

of 451 narrowbody jets with at least 141 seats, and 141 widebody aircraft - For

each widebody added, 1 RJ added - For each narrowbody added, 3 RJs added - For
each 70-90 seater added, one RJ added - 150 RJs can be added to replace
turboprops on one-for-one basis

Airline: US Airways
Max. # of Seats: 69 seats
Permitted # of Regional Jets (RJs)s: * 70
Pilots' Contract Amendable Dates: 1/2/03
Other Limits: * No RJ can operate on route served by mainline jets in past year

Sources: J. Glass & Associates, AvStat Associates, Commuter Regional Airline
News and airlines

COPYRIGHT 2001 Access Intelligence, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Fonte: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ZCK/is_7_11/ai_70633345/