I’ve watched this unfold much as anyone else has and there is one peculiar observation I have.

Am I the only one to notice that Doug Parker & company have largely kept their mouths shut in the merger process while virtually all other parties keep trying to find ways into the public eye?

Am I the only one to notice that AA CEO Tom Horton seems to be working overtime to speak about this merger opportunity?

We continually here Tom Horton portray himself neutrally when speaking to news media.  Yet when he has an opportunity to make a company communication, there is always a tone that leads me to believe that he’s less than happy with the merger idea being pressed upon him.

And it is curious to me that Horton’s “private” comments about the merger opportunity get leaked to the press pretty frequently whereas Doug Parker and his team really have largely just kept their mouths closed.

I’m tempted to think that Tom Horton protests too much in this and tend to interpret his behavior as somewhat desperate.  This may in fact not be the case at all.  The truth is, what’s going on behind closed doors is pretty much unknown by all.

But the more I notice Doug Parker’s silence, the more I think that he’s managed to pretty much corner this deal and it is his to lose at this point.

Filed under: Trivia by ajax
No Comments »

Spirit Airlines is blaming a collision between an A320 of its own and a US Airways A320 parked on a remote ramp in Ft. Lauderdale on New Year’s Eve.  Spirit says its pilots weren’t warned of the aircraft being parked there.

I have a somewhat grudging admiration for how Spirit manages its PR in these situations.  They are the teenage kid who says outrageous things and denies responsibility for problems it does cause.

But let’s take note of a few facts.  First, ATC isn’t responsible for warning taxiing aircraft of properly parked aircraft on ramps.

Second, pilots and most specifically the captain, are responsible for watching where they are taxiing their aircraft.   In this case, the Spirit aircraft didn’t back into the aircraft, it struck the tail of the US Airways aircraft as it was passing by.  It’s true that care has to be exercised when taxiing on ramps but it is the responsibility of the taxiing aircraft to pay attention to its surroundings.

Third, LiveATC.net has captured audio of another Spirit aircraft warning of tight quarters just before the collision.

Look, it’s an accident and it probably isn’t one bit funny to US Airways whose aircraft suffered significant damage.  But these things do happen and this one probably didn’t happen because the Spirit captain wasn’t paying attention.  It isn’t easy to taxi these aircraft and there is a reason why the captain is made responsible for this duty.

Blaming it on air traffic control is just silly, however.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax
No Comments »