NO "SHORTAGE" OF CONCERNS

Envoy will accelerate the retirement of more small jets while noting that 15% of its seniority list has moved on. Roughly 25% of those pilots that have left Envoy have joined American.

The American Airlines pilot union (APA) is not happy with the company's approach to pilot training. The APA filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the airline from eliminating the longstanding practice of using experienced Check Airmen during a critical stage of the pilot training program.

Our monthly analysis of regional airline trends in June 2022 (https://lnkd.in/dzhdE4z) points to cracks appearing at American suggesting that reductions in small jet flying are presenting themselves. On the other hand, Delta has scheduled increases in its use of the small jet. And other than the SkyWest EAS story, United made fewer headlines.

Across the metroplex on Mockingbird Lane, the pilot training story is not a happy one either. Just think if all of the long-haul flying were being performed by all airlines. A lot less flying in the 1,000-mile stage lengths would be in the schedule offerings today.

I hate reading stories about pilot fatigue. However, those stories are starting to appear. If we thought a Pandemic was demand-killing, then the issue of pilot fatigue would surely cause the consumer to question using the system. This industry has to be very careful.

So here we sit in April, one-third of 2022 nearly complete. Shortages are likely causing increased use of available pilots. Are we then going to experience an end of the year issue where schedules around the holidays cannot be performed because pilots have exceeded their federally mandated time or "timed out"?

I am also attaching the Swelbar-Boyd Third Rail thought paper we just completed. After the first paper, many said that the only real problem is a shortage of pilots. Trust me when I say it is not true. The economics of small jet flying at today's labor and fuel prices is simply upside down.

And there has been a lot of Essential Air Service news in the papers as well. The second part of the paper baselines how we are spending $319 million on EAS service. Remember the interstate wasn't completed when the program was legislated. In 2022, people do drive.