Continental Sets Q400 Sked, Pilots Protest

The first cities to be served by Colgan Air’s new Bombardier Q400s are Albany, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Rochester. Additional service from New York and Cleveland will be added throughout 2008. The Continental Connection began Q400 service on February 4 from Newark. The Q400 will allow Continental to...

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The first cities to be served by Colgan Air’s new Bombardier Q400s are Albany, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Rochester. Additional service from New York and Cleveland will be added throughout 2008. The Continental Connection began Q400 service on February 4 from Newark.
The Q400 will allow Continental to increase seat capacity at its Newark hub without adding more flights, said the airline. “The Q400 is an ideal aircraft to operate at Liberty as it will allow more extensive use of alternate approach and departure routes and will enable flight operations at lower altitudes,” said Mark Erwin, Continental's senior vice president of corporate development.
"Our selection of the Q400 aircraft is an important move for us because it addresses our need for efficiency without sacrificing our customers' comfort, and because it is well-suited to the unique operating environment at Newark Liberty."
Colgan Air Inc., a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp., will operate the flights as Continental Connection on short and medium-distance routes from Liberty. Continental has entered into a 10-year capacity-purchase agreement with Pinnacle Airlines Corp. The company will acquire 15 new Q400 aircraft which it will operate through its Colgan subsidiary. Continental will schedule and market the service.

Airlink Pilots Set Informational Picket at EWR
Pinnacle pilots chose the day Colgan, Pinnacle and Continental began Bombardier Q400 operations at Newark to do informational picketing demanding management stop whipsawing pilot groups. Represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), Pinnacle pilots were set to picket this afternoon at Newark, protesting the launch of the new service under the airline’s Air Services Agreement with Continental. Related Story
ALPA charged that Pinnacle Airlines Corp. management used the profits “garnered though the hard work of the Pinnacle pilots” to buy both Colgan Air in late 2006 and new airplanes in 2007. Pinnacle pilots are also protesting the glacial pace of their contract negotiations and management's refusal to recognize the pilots' contributions to the continued success of the airline.
ALPA also charged Pinnacle holding company management is growing Colgan Air at the expense of Pinnacle Airlines, even though the Pinnacle pilots' professionalism and excellence are what has given the holding company the opportunity to grow and move into new Air Services Agreements with other airlines.
Pinnacle pilots and management have been negotiating for a new contract since February 2005. The union said pilots and management remain far apart on such issues as retirement, job security, and compensation. Both sides entered mediated negotiations in late September 2006. Pinnacle employs more than 1,200 pilots.