BRA
Rollins Rules!
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2002
- Posts
- 904
Taken from USA Today:
Alaska Air chiefs says carrier headed in 'right direction'
In an interview with The Seattle Times, Alaska Airlines chairman Bill Ayer says the carrier is headed in the right direction. That’s despite the recent series of incidents and hiccups that have brought bad press to the airline. Despite the airline’s woes, however, there may be reason for optimism at Alaska Air. The company earned $55 million last year, making it the USA’s second most-profitable airline -- second only to discount giant Southwest, according to the Times. As for the incidents that have focused negative attention on the airline since this winter, they were among the items Ayer discussed in the interview. He addressed Alaska Air's decision to lay off 472 union workers last May and hire Menzies Aviation to handle its ground operations Seattle. “Problems began almost immediately,” the Times writes. “Luggage took ages to reach baggage carousels, and bags were lost. Flight delays became commonplace, and Alaska's on-time performance slipped to worst among 19 major U.S. airlines.”
Menzies has also been the focus of several operational incidents at the carrier. The Times says Ayer “acknowledged the timing of the switch (to Menzies) was lousy, and that nine months later Menzies continues to have trouble hiring and retaining enough qualified people.” Ayer also says he’s not happy about Alaska’s last-place performance in the federal on-time ratings for 2005. Still, he thinks the company has made the correct, albeit difficult moves in its effort to return to profitability. "As I look back at the decisions that we've made, I would say that they have largely been the right decisions. Certainly the direction has been right," Ayer says.
Alaska Air chairman: Airlines using bankruptcy is ‘not right’
Among the more interesting comments coming from The Seattle Times’ interview with Alaska Airlines chairman Bill Ayer is his take on airlines in bankruptcy. He says: "You know there are only two airlines that are trying to restructure — two legacy airlines — that are trying to restructure out of bankruptcy. Us and American. Virtually every other legacy carrier, long-term carrier, that ended up with a higher cost structure, used bankruptcy. And I just think that's not right.” He continues: “Every industry can avail itself of bankruptcy. But it certainly seems like the airlines have certainly been a customer of the government on this thing — a frequent customer — and we just decided a long time ago we weren't going there. We were going to control what we could control, we weren't going to count on anybody else to fix things. We were going to do what we can and make it work." Check out The Seattle Times to read the full transcript of Ayers’ interview. They dump 472 union employees, and it's the other airlines that are "not right"?
