Absent Pilots Force Cancellations

Northwest Airlines blamed a spike in canceled flights Friday on pilot absenteeism and warned that it would probably cancel more flights over the weekend.

The airline declined to release any figures, but the Web site FlightStats.com said Northwest had canceled 77 flights as of 4 p.m. CDT Friday. The flight-tracking service said Northwest had canceled 48 flights on Thursday.

In a letter to staff, Northwest Chief Executive Doug Steenland said the absences had primarily affected flights on narrow-bodied aircraft.

"We are operating under the assumption that we will see increases in cancellations on Saturday and Sunday as well," Steenland wrote. "With our high summer load factors, these cancellations will present an operating challenge as we use our best efforts to re-accommodate our passengers."

In a hotline message to pilots on Friday, the Northwest branch of the Air Line Pilots Association said that it didn't believe there had been any improper use of sick time. However, the union said, if there had been an increase in sick time it was caused by increased flying hours.

The union has said Northwest doesn't have enough pilots to fly its full schedule.

Northwest pilots have generally flown heavier schedules since agreeing to a new contract with the airline while it was in bankruptcy court. Northwest emerged from bankruptcy May 31.

Under their current contract, Northwest pilots can fly up to 90 hours per month, up from 80 hours previously. The system counts only the time from when the plane is pushed back from the departure gate until it pulls up to the arrival gate, not any preflight or postflight work.

The Eagan-based carrier, which canceled more than 1,000 flights in the last week of June because of pilot availability and other factors, announced earlier this month that it had thinned out its July schedule and cut its August schedule by 4 percent to try to prevent a repeat.

Northwest also began recalling its furloughed pilots and said it expects to hire 200 to 250 pilots in the next year. However, furloughed pilots must be retrained before they can resume flying.

"We are confident that the measures we are taking will address and remedy our operational challenges," Steenland wrote Friday. "The unfortunate reality is that a problem such as this cannot be solved overnight. The steps we are taking — schedule reductions, new pilot training, changes in pilot bidding patterns and other remedial measures — take time to implement. We are implementing these changes as fast as possible."

The carrier also saw an increase in cancellations last weekend — 51 last Saturday and 58 last Sunday — but said 36 were for maintenance issues.

[gkc99]

Northwest is harvesting the fruits of the way they have screwed over their employees. Their subsidiary, Mesaba, want to pay pilots less than Minneapolis bus drivers. You want to fly with them?

That the lesson for the billionaires who own and operate America. What goes around comes around. And after years of workers taking it up the A$$ from the bosses due to outsourcing, Repub recessions, and union busting, it may be payback time.

[sagirl3]

I was caught up in the same fiasco this past Friday and the airline made no attempt to provide compensation, food vouchers, or even a sincere apology. Instead I sat in the airport for 6 hours waiting.....It seems to be the norm where inconveniencing the customer is just part of doing business. The real irony is that while I had to wait hours for another flight other customers around me (who had been on the same flight) were being booked for earlier flights. When I questioned the supervisor, I was given stoney silence or a half-hearted attempt to explain. The upside is that I did finally get home the next morning--9 hours after my original arrival time. Next time, I'll drive.

[deepperppl]

Interestingly enough, pilots have contracts with their airline company to fly a certain number of hours each month. An increase in absenteeism makes me wonder if it's become a problem due to bad relations between the airline and the pilots. If they are being overworked, it would account for the need to take a break from work even at the threat of losing their jobs. I am certain anyone with any sense can understand that asking a pilot to fly too often leads to errors in the air. I hope that the company soon gets back to where it can maintain its normal schedule. Thank goodness, I don't fly. But I can imagine all the people who were denied flights they had counted on to be pretty upset. Northwest better get their act together soon, or they will likely not even be considered as an option for travellers who rely on airplanes to take them to other places relatively on schedule.

[jetranger7]

Quit *** over your Pilots and Stewardesses and other Employees, you wouldn't have this Problem, Mr. Ignorant CEO !! Bet your gonna get your Raise and bonus tho, and your country club fees paid for, while the Employees get their wages and health care insurance cut !! Corporate America and the Executives so full of outright Greed and lies, its just pathetic ! Be Glad I don't work there, I'd take several weeks off, without notice !! Hey, in school they told me this was a free country, I can do what I want to do, work if I want to, if I don't I can hang at the beach, do whatever I wanna do, without Corporate approval, and thats what I do too !! Everyday, I do whatever I wanna do, whenever I fell like it ! :):):)