Pilots Claim Pressure To Use Less Fuel

Union: US Airways Wants Pilots To Use Less Fuel Than They Feel Is Safe To Save Money

(AP)  The pilots union for US Airways said Wednesday the airline is pressuring pilots to use less fuel than they feel is safe in order to save money.

US Airways Captain James Ray, a spokesman for the US Airline Pilots Association, which represents the airline's 5,200 pilots, said eight senior pilots and the union have filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The union also paid for a full-page ad in Wednesday's USA Today addressed to "our valued passengers." The ad accuses the airline of "a program of intimidation to pressure your captain to reduce fuel loads."

Ray said soaring jet fuel prices have sent all the airlines scrambling to find ways to cut the weight of airliners because the heavier the plane, the more fuel the plane burns. US Airways, based in Tempe, Ariz., has recently removed movie players, redesigned its meal carts and replaced glassware with plastic to cut weight.

Jet fuel has surpassed labor as the airline industry's greatest expense.

But US Airways recently crossed the line when it ordered eight pilots who requested "an extra 10 to 15 minutes worth of fuel" to attend training sessions, or "check rides," that could put their pilot licenses in jeopardy, Ray said. The pilots were supposed to report for their training sessions Wednesday, he said.

"We feel they're trying to set an example," Ray said. "Captains shouldn't be intimidated into thinking, 'If I say I need this fuel, they may send me for a check ride.' ... Cutting peanuts off the plane, that's one thing. But cutting a captain's fuel level below his comfort, that's another thing."

US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant said the decision to bring in the eight pilots for extra training was not meant to be punitive. "That's totally not true," he said.

During the past few years, the carrier has required its planes to carry enough fuel to pad their flight times by 60 to 90 minutes, Durrant said.

"These eight pilots have routinely been above the 60 to 90 minute range. It just behooves us as a company to talk to these guys, figure out what they're seeing that we're not," Durrant said.

FAA regulations require aircraft to carry enough fuel to reach their destination and an alternate destination, plus 45 minutes worth of fuel, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said. Also, pilots have the final authority on whether their flight should have extra fuel.

Brown said she is unaware of any specific complaints filed by US Airways pilots or their union, but FAA has been monitoring reports of "minimum fuel loads" at some airports.

"We don't see any evidence right now that there are violations of the regulation," Brown said.

US Airways has studied how much fuel its planes really need to carry, Durrant said. "The heavier an aircraft is, the more fuel it burns, and one of the heaviest portions of an aircraft can be fuel," he said.

US Airways is also buying more fuel efficient aircraft and cutting inefficient routes from its network. Still, an average roundtrip flight costs about $299 worth of fuel per passenger, company officials said.

[alphaa10-2009]

A black eye and a sow''''s ear to US Airways for its idiotically unsafe policy on fuel economy. A decade of efforts to improve the airline''''s image just took a nosedive.

Apparently, profits count more than passenger safety. Can you imagine the negative publicity?

US Airways operators should prepare their scripts--

1. "I am sorry, sir/m''''am. The airliner went down because it met an unscheduled headwind, and used up all its remaining fuel. Unfortunately, these things happen, but we''''ll schedule another flight as soon as we can clear the runway."

2. "I am sorry, sir/m''''am. Your captain was taken off your flight for an urgent appointment with personnel. We will find another captain, as soon as possible, whose professional standards meet our requirements-- like an auditor or accountant."

3. "I am sorry, sir/m''''am. We had to cancel your flight because US Airways did not project enough profit for your flight to take off today. Actually, you are fortunate-- we recalled another flight halfway en route to Kansas City."

[dougmsbbs]

Come on, guys, lets work together here. Is it really going to hurt you to shut down while your still 100 feet in the air? You can glide the rest of the way, and we''ll save money!
To lighten the load even more, all passengers are now required to hand over their wallets before getting on the plane. Woman with jewelry will please put it in the basket now being handed around...

[frankbowers]

What do the companies think the pilots are doing with the extra fuel in the air, selling it to a competitor up there. This is sick the plane goes up with filled tanks and comes down with what ever is left over unless it is a short flight and then less fuel so as to reduce the weight on take off. The company leaders, managers, and CEO"s need to reduce their big bonus so as to help; why they even get bonus is beyond me they have a job and they do it like a man shoveling rock on the road he get x $ an hour and not one penny more why do these CEO''s need the bonus the managers likewise they have a job and signed on to do it for x $ why give them a bonus why not reduce the cost of the clients fees, that would make more folks happy and the airlines would have more business and fewer empty seats.

[frankbowers]

;-)

[cburn665]

ooops, I meant WON''T...

[cburn665]

now that was funny DaVicar2...

[cburn665]

Good bye US Airways, I want be flying (dying)on any of your planes!

[alphaa10-2009]

A black eye and a sow''s ear to US Airways for its idiotically unsafe policy on fuel economy. A decade of efforts to improve the airline''s image just took a nosedive.

Apparently, profits count more than passenger safety. Can you imagine the negative publicity?

US Airways operators should prepare their scripts--

1. "I am sorry, sir/m''am. The airliner went down because it met an unscheduled headwind, and used up all its remaining fuel. Unfortunately, these things happen, but we''ll schedule another flight as soon as we can clear the runway."

2. "I am sorry, sir/m''am. Your captain was taken off your flight for an urgent appointment with personnel. We will find another captain, as soon as possible, whose professional standards meet our requirements-- like an auditor or accountant."

3. "I am sorry, sir/m''am. We had to cancel your flight because US Airways did not project enough profit for your flight to take off today. Actually, you are fortunate-- we recalled another flight halfway en route to Kansas City."

[kphx]

US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant said the decision to bring in the eight pilots for extra training was not meant to be punitive. "That''s totally not true," he said.

Yeah right. That''s partially true. *** these pilots. How dare they consider safety over profit. Need to let them know that they can lose thier licenses for such activities. I for one fully support that we stay from US Airways.

[coppertales]

UPS flies the same kind of planes that you and I fly on. The only difference is UPS takes the seats out. You just don''t get a bunch of flack and lip service from a pallet of boxes. They have something there.

On fuel, ATC does alot of re-routing of flights once they are in the air, most usually due to weather. Some airlines are treated more fairly than others during this re-route process. Give an ATC controller some flack and you will be re-routed 500 miles out of your way for nothing....