Sunwing Cancels All Flights Through June 23

[DHC-1 Jockey]

And here I had hope that at least some flights would operate starting May 1.

https://news.paxeditions.com/news/airli ... tZ63JxdWdg

Effective May 1, 2021 to June 23, 2021, Sunwing is cancelling all southbound flights to sun destinations and domestic flights to/from British Columbia and Newfoundland, PAX has learned.

This follows January’s announcement that Sunwing, along with all other major Canadian airlines and tour operators, suspended flights to all sun destinations between January, 31, 2021 and April 30, 2021.

"This decision to cancel Sunwing flights between May 1, 2021 and June 23, 2021 was not made lightly but deemed necessary as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing travel restrictions," Sunwing wrote in a statement.

Customers or their travel agents impacted by cancelled flights are being contacted by Sunwing directly to review their options.

[rudder]

What is happening with summer 2021 deployments?

[DHC-1 Jockey]

What is happening with summer 2021 deployments?

TUI has already said that Sunwing aircraft will not be deploying to Europe this summer, and most likely TUI will not be sending their aircraft to Canada for the Winter 2021/2022 season.

[rudder]

What is happening with summer 2021 deployments?

TUI has already said that Sunwing aircraft will not be deploying to Europe this summer, and most likely TUI will not be sending their aircraft to Canada for the Winter 2021/2022 season.

Sorry to hear that.

Will there still be dry leases from TUI and Travel Service/Smartwings?

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Will there still be dry leases from TUI and Travel Service/Smartwings?

Unknown at that this time. We have a company town hall update in a few weeks time, but I don't expect any positive news.

Stephen Hunter has recently said he was hoping for a return to 100% travel this winter using 40-45 aircraft. That was only a week ago, and now they've cancelled all flights through June amid a rising 3rd wave.

The problem facing us now is the training backlog. Most of us haven't flown for over a year now. If everyone was called back today, the required SIM training would take literally months to go through. Guys in the training department are guessing 8-15 months using our available CAE SIM's to get everyone trained up if we started today. If we go for 2 years without flying (which is a real possibility), I believe we have to do the full initial course again.

We have also had several trainers/ACP's hit 65 during the pandemic and have not been replaced. So, we're running into a SIM shortage and the beginnings of a trainer shortage. I bet Flair will be using the YYZ CAE SIM a lot over the coming months, which reduces the slots available to Sunwing. We used to do overflow SIM training in Europe, that won't be happening anytime soon either.

Even if things pick up, I might only be recalled just in time for the end of next winter season, and then we move into the slow summer season. I'm not banking on returning to full-time status until Winter 2022/2023.

[rudder]

Even if things pick up, I might only be recalled just in time for the end of next winter season, and then we move into the slow summer season. I'm not banking on returning to full-time status until Winter 2022/2023.

Well, I hope you get some better news from the meeting.

If SWG doesn’t start to recall and train soon it won’t be able to staff 20 planes next winter, forget 40.

[altiplano]

If we go for 2 years without flying (which is a real possibility), I believe we have to do the full initial course again.

FWIW... AC 737 guys did 2 years+ no flying. Return is short course and line indoc.

[indieadventurer]

If we go for 2 years without flying (which is a real possibility), I believe we have to do the full initial course again.

FWIW... AC 737 guys did 2 years+ no flying. Return is short course and line indoc.

But didn't they maintain their PPC's by going to sim every 6 months still?

[rudder]

If we go for 2 years without flying (which is a real possibility), I believe we have to do the full initial course again.

FWIW... AC 737 guys did 2 years+ no flying. Return is short course and line indoc.

But didn't they maintain their PPC's by going to sim every 6 months still?

Full course only applies if PPC EXPIRED >24 months.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

FWIW... AC 737 guys did 2 years+ no flying. Return is short course and line indoc.

I haven't flown OR been in SIM for 13 months now. There are new-hires that have been even longer and never even started line-indoc. By the time we work through the training backlog, a lot of us will be 24+ months without touching the airplane or a SIM and have to do full initials again.

Ironically, in an effort to save money by not keeping us current, in the end, it'll cost more to do full initials for dozens of pilots.

[altiplano]

FWIW... AC 737 guys did 2 years+ no flying. Return is short course and line indoc.

I haven't flown OR been in SIM for 13 months now. There are new-hires that have been even longer and never even started line-indoc. By the time we work through the training backlog, a lot of us will be 24+ months without touching the airplane or a SIM and have to do full initials again.

Ironically, in an effort to save money by not keeping us current, in the end, it'll cost more to do full initials for dozens of pilots.

I didn't realize you guys have been out of the seat so long and were not kept current at all. Definitely short sighted. A 6 month PPC and even taking 20 guys up at a time for some touch and goes if you can't get sim time for recency would be cheaper than having to do full courses on everyone. Not to mention lost opportunity when things open and not being ready for it. Hope you're back in soon.

[rudder]

Once again - the regulatory requirement is greater than 24 months from EXPIRY of PPC. If you are renewing annually, it is 36 months from last PPC. If renewing semi-annually it is 30 months from last PPC.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Once again - the regulatory requirement is greater than 24 months from EXPIRY of PPC. If you are renewing annually, it is 36 months from last PPC. If renewing semi-annually it is 30 months from last PPC.

I last flew March 4th, 2020 and my last PPC was June 2019 (we do LOFT in lieu of PPC when able). In the highly plausible situation that I don't get back into SIM until summer 2022 in preparation for winter 2022, it'll be at least 36 months from my last PPC, and over 27 months from touching an airplane or the SIM. By next June, there will be some pilots 38 months since their last PPC.

Keep in mind, the safety department will run a risk analysis comparing crews doing a simple re-certification vs a more prolonged training program. They prevented new cadets from deploying to Europe without a certain amount of total time, because it would just be too much to handle for a cadet. If they can force that decision on Flight Ops Management, I could see them mandating more rigorous training beyond what the regulator requires.

[altiplano]

Once again - the regulatory requirement is greater than 24 months from EXPIRY of PPC. If you are renewing annually, it is 36 months from last PPC. If renewing semi-annually it is 30 months from last PPC.

I last flew March 4th, 2020 and my last PPC was June 2019 (we do LOFT in lieu of PPC when able). In the highly plausible situation that I don't get back into SIM until summer 2022 in preparation for winter 2022, it'll be at least 36 months from my last PPC, and over 27 months from touching an airplane or the SIM. By next June, there will be some pilots 38 months since their last PPC.

Keep in mind, the safety department will run a risk analysis comparing crews doing a simple re-certification vs a more prolonged training program. They prevented new cadets from deploying to Europe without a certain amount of total time, because it would just be too much to handle for a cadet. If they can force that decision on Flight Ops Management, I could see them mandating more rigorous training beyond what the regulator requires.

They should get you guys in a sim every few months or something, or at least do you recurrent events. Is sim availability the issue? Or cost?

[tbaylx]

Once again - the regulatory requirement is greater than 24 months from EXPIRY of PPC. If you are renewing annually, it is 36 months from last PPC. If renewing semi-annually it is 30 months from last PPC.

I last flew March 4th, 2020 and my last PPC was June 2019 (we do LOFT in lieu of PPC when able). In the highly plausible situation that I don't get back into SIM until summer 2022 in preparation for winter 2022, it'll be at least 36 months from my last PPC, and over 27 months from touching an airplane or the SIM. By next June, there will be some pilots 38 months since their last PPC.

Keep in mind, the safety department will run a risk analysis comparing crews doing a simple re-certification vs a more prolonged training program. They prevented new cadets from deploying to Europe without a certain amount of total time, because it would just be too much to handle for a cadet. If they can force that decision on Flight Ops Management, I could see them mandating more rigorous training beyond what the regulator requires.

They should get you guys in a sim every few months or something, or at least do you recurrent events. Is sim availability the issue? Or cost?

The sim has been wide open all winter. Flair has it booked up for the next few weeks but it's a cost issue. No point spending $5000/pilot to keep them current when they aren't needed.

I'm sure the training department is closely watching the 24 month expiry and will pull pilots in as needed to avoid an entire initial course. It's going to be an industry wide issue, not just for Sunwing.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

I'm sure the training department is closely watching the 24 month expiry and will pull pilots in as needed to avoid an entire initial course.

We have an LOU signed that specifically says that recalls will only be done by the Master Seniority list.

In other words, there could be a large group coming up on the 24 month expiry, but can't be recalled as long as there are pilots senior to them that haven't been recalled and maybe are more current and a longer time from their 24 month expiry.

Same for recalling trainers; recall's can't be done out of seniority, so if there are SIM trainers needed who sit in the middle of the list, everyone above them must be recalled first at full pay, benefits, RRSP, etc before they can recall the training pilots. It puts the company between a rock and a hard place to have to spend the money on recalling pilots who aren't needed, just to reach the point on the list where they can recall the training pilots to train and keep current only a few dozen pilots.

[altiplano]

Bring on the instructors as contractors. Or make someone else senior an instructor.

Are you guys collecting CEWS?

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Bring on the instructors as contractors. Or make someone else senior an instructor.

Not going to happen. You just can't "make" senior people instructors/ACP's in order to subvert the seniority list. These are people who will require training how to operate SIM's, take the ACP course and pass their own ACP evaluation, etc. Not to mention that these pilots would probably be looked upon as "scabs" who are taking training positions that rightfully belong to other pilots who may be junior to them. To help the company, the pilot group voted to take a 10% paycut over the length of newly signed CBA, and in the same CBA, the company agreed to recall based on seniority. It's now up to the company to do the recalls needed to have a properly staffed operation in preparation for an eventual re-start. Having senior non-trainers become trainers only serves to reduce the number of pilots recalled, and the company would recall the absolute minimum necessary to do so.

I definitely see the company trying to get the Union to sign an LOU allowing them to recall out of seniority, but I imagine it would have to go to the pilot group for a vote.

Are you guys collecting CEWS?

Yes we are. Sunwing has said they would commit to the program as long as the government offers it and it operates as a "cost neutral" endeavour for the company. I believe they evaluate it on a semi-monthly basis and right now they've committed to go as far as May if I recall correctly. Perhaps in the upcoming town hall they'll announce another extension.

[GoHomeLeg]

In a perfect world, we need an online recurrent ground course, emergency doors training, 5 sims and a line check ( LOFT event which is two sims and a PPC event which is 3 sims) for around 400+ pilots. Fly is not like riding a bike. It's the critical thinking and analysis along with muscle memory and situational awareness and being able to think smart fast that's required to bring everyone back up to speed. It's going to be a stressful process for the training department. I already know the company is going try to do the regulatory minimum to get everyone requalified. There's going to be extra sims, PPC failures, and extra line training flights left and right. I hope everyone's been keep their heads in the manuals.

[rudder]

SWG certainly has a problem.

AC is planning around an 80% capacity schedule for summer 2022 and has staffed accordingly. That decision comes at a cost which is greater operating losses between now and then despite the CEWS wage subsidy.

Even if SW aims for a 70-75% capacity winter 2021-2022 schedule, it will need around 350 pilots. At 50 per month recall rate that would have to start no later than June. Next problems - lack of trainers and lack of commercial operations volume to support line training.

SWG may have to establish a temporary domestic schedule just to accommodate line training and currency.

I see similar issues for TS as they gear up for the winter operation.