Just heard from a reliable source here at DL that we are going to outsource all MD88/90 and 767 HMVs (aka D check or overhaul) and reduce the total number of mechanics by up to 25%. Currently there are 6972 AMTs employed at DL so we could see about 1750 furloughed. All of this is in addition to the closing of the DFW hangar and displacement of the approx 920 Tech Ops employees. There is supposed to be an official announcement Thurs. Nov 4th, 2004.

Dl757Md

[Edited 2004-10-31 00:23:14]

Sadly, heavy maintenance outsourcing is becoming much more common. IINM, only AA and DL still complete all their own overhauls.



N670UW

Could any of those mechs find their way over to aa?

Byrdluvs747
You'd probably want to check with RIFFEDAAMECH. I think he's up on the recall/hiring status at AA for AMTs. Last I saw in one of his posts he hadn't been recalled. If that's true AA wouldn't hire any DL AMTs as they must recall all their furloughed AMTs before they can hire anyone off the street.

Dl757Md

[Edited 2004-10-31 02:31:19]

Oh ok. That makes sense. I wasn't paying attention to the AA mech situation.

Where I work, we have heard the same, with the total number gone from TechOps(I assume this includes cleaners, engineers, managers, office types, etc......as well as AMT's) to be around 3,000 when all is said and done. We have also heard Nov 4th will be the day. That is going back an awful long way into the seniority list. All I can say is that if anyone is considering going into this field........RECONSIDER!!!!
S

i have heard similar rumors.

it's too bad. these folks are highly compensated because they're experts. they have been continually trained during their employment with delta (or any airline) as a means to increase their pay even further.

now subcontractors are hiring (competent???) people at 1/3 the wages to do the work.

i understand the critical need to control maintenance costs, but it seems pretty low down that the company is cutting people because they're too expensive. they were bettering themselves at the behest of the company.

this is just another example of how our industry is upside-down and operating in an environment void of logic.

Not to mention DL AMTs will be the lowest paid in the industry among majors after the 10% paycut. Also, DL has the least amount of AMTs per a/c among the majors and already has the lowest mtc costs in the industry!!!!!!!!!!! I think DL should look elsewhere for the cuts.....like Upper Mgt. Oh yeah, I forgot DL TechOps has actually MADE DL MONEY by insourcing work from other airlines and companies.
S

I doubt Delta would outsource any of this. Delta Tech ops is so efficient we insource work from many other airlines.

i would imagine they would have to probably go to the outsource company now,the sad part is they will be working on the same planes for half the money...

I doubt Delta would outsource any of this. Delta Tech ops is so efficient we insource work from many other airlines.

You would think that would be the case. However, given DL's current cash flow problems, they may actually eliminate a profitable area to shore up there immediate cash situation.

Also isn't a significant portion of DL's insourced MRO revenue from 737s? I don't think they get a whole lot of MD-80/90 work. Many of the 767s are getting quite old, and require a tremendous number of man hours to do HMVs on. This would also lead one to believe that they would be good candidates for outsourcing, specifically on fixed price contracts.

Moving them out of house might free up space in the TOC and other locations to do more profitable work on younger a/c with fewer people.

Of course it could also drive unionization campaigns. Maybe DL should have (partially) spun off their MRO operations when they had a chance.

I'm so sorry. It was going to happen sooner or later. Did the company ever reach a deal with the pilots union? I went to A&P school, was getting ready for an airline career, then got my license. Five days later 9/11 happened and that all went down the drain. I work on a military contract right now. Its pretty good, but I have always dreamed of a flightline job at a major airport. I cant help it, I grew up next to LAX. Delta has always been a favorite airline of mine, and I like ATL.
Outsourcing seems to be the trend these days, and we'll see if the farther faster cheaper "theory" produces safe, quality work. I have my doubts. Maybe I'll be thankful If they stay here in the United States, not go overseas like so many other industries.

"I doubt Delta would outsource any of this. Delta Tech ops is so efficient we insource work from many other airlines."

The DFW hanger operation was supposed to be very efficient. Look what happened there.

an increasing number widebodies go to asia for heavy maintenance

manhour rates are very low in e.g China

so then the quality probably is a problem!

uhm..

no..

it is much like electronics, cars etc. during the last decades..

Toyota´s and Sony´s aren´t bad quality..

Bucky707

It's nice to hear a pilot recognizing the value and professionalism of Tech Ops.

Please don't take this as a personal attack because I don't know you nor am I familiar with your views. My question to you is: Why would you think DL management wouldn't axe an efficient and profitable division when the pilot group has a deep distrust of managements ability to see this company through to the emergence from this precarious situation we're in. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've talked to pilots and heard "Why should we give them what they want when they're going to just piss it away. I'll just lose my job anyway". What was the slogan? Industry leading pay till the last day? I realize that the pilot union has reached a tentative agreement with Delta. However it seems to me that if you doubt Delta management would do what the rumor says you must be incredibly dismayed with your own union for not conceding to management's 'wise' demands over a year ago and avoiding a large amount of the bleeding that's occurred during that time. I guess what I'm saying is don't paint DL management as competent with their dealings with other divisions when your own division has demonstrated a deep seated distrust of that same management.

Dl1011

The DFW hanger operation was supposed to be very efficient. Look what happened there.

There were problems with the DFW hangar that Tech Ops management never could reign in. I won't go into details but it was basically a power struggle between different departments there. Efficiency was the victim. Efficiency was looked at in the decision to keep the stations/departments kept or eliminated. This is why SLC was kept as a hub when most "experts" had written it off. Sure SLC loses money. But the people there have demonstrated a willingness to work very hard and pull together. If you had two hubs that were losing money and needed to get rid of one and you had a clear cut difference in the attitude of the employees at the two hubs. It wouldn't be that hard of a choice. I don't fault the employees at DFW or the ATL hangar but I do blame the local management for not creating an environment conducive to their people being able to be the best they could be.

Dl757Md

I

"There were problems with the DFW hangar that Tech Ops management never could reign in. I won't go into details but it was basically a power struggle between different departments there. Efficiency was the victim. Efficiency was looked at in the decision to keep the stations/departments kept or eliminated. This is why SLC was kept as a hub when most "experts" had written it off. Sure SLC loses money. But the people there have demonstrated a willingness to work very hard and pull together. If you had two hubs that were losing money and needed to get rid of one and you had a clear cut difference in the attitude of the employees at the two hubs. It wouldn't be that hard of a choice. I don't fault the employees at DFW or the ATL hangar but I do blame the local management for not creating an environment conducive to their people being able to be the best they could be."

Very interesting. Have never heard of major problems in DFW and management heaped praise on them. If there were problems with the local managers, it's an over reaction to kill the entire operation. Assuming that the work done in DFW is not farmed out, it will take a VERY long time to set up elsewhere. I can only imagine the attitude amongst the employee's as they wait for the doors to close.