Midwest Airlines plans to eventually ground the nine remaining Boeing 717s in its fleet in 2009, according to a Midwest pilot.
Greg Uselmann, who has worked as a pilot for 25 years, including the past 10 at Midwest Airlines, said he believes it is Midwest’s intent to take the remaining 717s in its fleet out of service in 2009, a move he claimed could lead to even more layoffs at the airline.
Uselmann, who is set to be laid off from Midwest by mid-November, claimed that Midwest entered into short-term leases for the remaining 717s, which he said shows Midwest’s intent to remove the aircraft from the fleet in quick order.
Midwest Air Group Inc., Oak Creek, which operates Midwest Airlines, recently entered into an agreement with Indianapolis-based
Republic Airways Holdings Inc. that eventually will result in Midwest replacing all but nine of the 25 Boeing 717s it had in its fleet with smaller Embraer E170 regional jets that it is leasing from Republic.