NYC Base Operations Update

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derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
Council 66 Update for October 30th, 2012​
Hurricane Sandy Aftermath​

In NYC, the winds have passed and the waters are receding. The devastation is now becoming increasingly evident. An entire neighborhood near JFK, 80 homes — burned to the ground. Downed power lines and felled trees block the streets. JFK and EWR have suffered extensive damage and are littered with debris. LGA is the worst off — the entire airport was under water at one point, with flooding saltwater nearly topping jetway wheels. You can just imagine the impact on first floor operations as the waters of Flushing Bay have found their way throughout the structures. As the runways sit on piers, no doubt they will need to be inspected. Navaids and lighting are a concern. Airport employees may find transportation difficult for some time. Many are without power, still. It will take some time to recover. How long exactly, nobody knows for certain at this point.

We know our pilots are hungry for information. We know that many of you are waiting at outlying stations for your opportunity to return home. We know that many of you are trying to plan your commute in. We have been in constant contact with the NYC CPO as well as the MEC administration with the goal of assisting you as much as we possibly can. Here is what we know at the moment with regard to this frustrating, constantly changing situation:

NYC Mayor Bloomberg stated this morning "No flights in or out of any NYC airports will be allowed today". CNN reports all subways and tunnels are closed in NYC. The MTA has announced that they intend to resume operations later this evening with a goal of a “reasonable” level of service by tomorrow.

· LGA will be closed all day today. An assessment will be made at a later time as to the possibility of some operations resuming Wednesday.
· EWR facilities are in reasonably good shape, but no power is available at this time. Officials estimate there is a fair to good probability that power could be restored by tomorrow afternoon.
· The company is still working with the Port Authority to determine to what degree JFK may be able to operate on Wednesday. Limited operation could resume with arrivals after noon and the potential for departures later in the day. The previously scheduled Flight 9862 scheduled for Tuesday evening to position crews has been cancelled, and the company is considering other options for repositioning flights possibly beginning on Wednesday.

Based on eyewitness reports by employees: No flooding or evidence of water damage at JFK employee parking lot 7. There is some debris from trees and some buildings but not extensive. At LGA the back of the employee lot was flooded. More reports on LGA to follow when we have definitive information, but according to the company, the best current word is that the lot should be available to those pilots who choose to drive to LGA when operations resume.

We understand there is significant concern among our crews that have Wednesday and Thursday reports at any of the NY airports, both in terms of reaching the NY area as well as the availability of hotel rooms once you arrive. Little information is available. We have asked the MEC administration to strongly voice in the next Flight Ops conference call that the company must communicate a plan for repositioning flights, commuting assistance, hotel availability and the airport parking situation as soon as possible.

Additionally, ALPA is currently housing stranded Pilots at JFK whose flights out were cancelled by the arrival of Sandy on a space available basis.

Some things to consider:
Be aware of your 23k and reroute obligations. These are spelled out clearly in MEC Scheduling Alert 12-12 Hurricane Sandy: Reroute and Recovery Obligations, which is attached.

Recognize that open time is likely to appear on short notice for all categories when flying begins. If you desire to fly, keep an eye on it.

We sincerely hope you and your families are safe. If you need help with immediate needs, please call the MEC office at 1-800-USA-ALPA and ask to speak to a Delta Pilot Network volunteer. You may also ask to be put in touch with a Pilot Assistance Network (PAN) volunteer who can direct you to ALPA sponsored programs that provide financial and many others kinds of relief to ALPA pilots and their families.

For the latest pics of the devastation in NY, and for the latest info possible, please “like” us on Facebook: Click Here
Other Resources:
Fly safe,

Tom, Chris and Patrick
 
Please keep us informed as much as possible. Some of us are trying to make it home, and Delta is not helping in this situation. This is much better news than I have heard all week! I am hoping everybody makes it to where they are going, and crews get home soon.
 
Here's what I got yesterday:

Hurricane Sandy: Update #02​

Hurricane Sandy, in terms of geographic size, is already the largest Atlantic hurricane of the past
twenty-five years. As of 5pm, Sandy was located 30 miles from Cape May, New Jersey with landfall imminent.

Critical Ops Updates are being published by Flight Ops on an as needed basis and will serve as a primary source of information for Delta crews. These updates are available from links on the left-hand side of the Flight Operations page of the DeltaNet. Critical Ops Update #2 was published late this afternoon and is included as an attachment to this Alert in order to ensure the widest possible distribution. ALPA will remain in close contact with Flight Ops throughout the IROPS to ensure our crews remain informed and safe, and will provide additional MEC Alerts as necessary.

The storm surge associated with Sandy is expected to have a major impact on the three New York City airports as well as throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. The National Hurricane Center has released storm surge forecasts of 6 to 11 feet above ground level if the peak surge occurs at high tide for Long Island sound.

Here are a few highlights we want to pass along, some of which are sourced from Critical Ops Update #2:

· Delta’s current plans call for scheduled “remain overnight” aircraft to operate into LGA, JFK and EWR on Tuesday evening with the intent of resuming operations Wednesday morning
o The reopening will depend upon a variety of factors, however, including the storm surge, power outages associated with the hurricane, the ability for local employees to get to work, and the Port Authority’s decision as to when to reopen the airports
· Scheduling Alert 12-12 was published earlier today and provides a review of reroute and recovery obligations
· Scheduling Alert 12-13 will be published later this evening and will provide a review of White Slip, Yellow Slip, and Green Slip entry procedures and additional considerations
· Delta plans to operate a 7ER as an extra section into JFK tomorrow night;
o This flight will be blocked for crewmembers who have scheduled duty in NYC (EWR, LGA or JFK) on Wednesday.
o Flight 9862 is currently scheduled to depart ATL at 7:30pm ET
o You should call Crew Scheduling if you want to book a seat on Flight #9862
o When booking your seat with Scheduling, please let the scheduler know if you do not have pre-arranged accommodations in the NYC area for Tuesday night.
· For pilots who are awarded a slip request (White/Yellow/Green) for flying out of NYC, please contact Crew Scheduling to discuss commuting options (if necessary) once a rotation is awarded

As a reminder, DPN:24/7 was activated on Sunday morning to provide pilots and their families with a live point of contact for time critical issues related to Sandy. If your issue is routine or political in nature, please contact your LEC representative or the MEC Duty Officer as you normally would. Until Sandy is no longer a threat, if you or your family may be negatively affected by the storm, ALPA is here to help. Feel free to call the MEC Duty Officer at 1-800-USA-ALPA during normal business hours or 1-866-239-0437after business hours to speak with a DPN volunteer.

Note: DPN:24/7 is not a substitute for resolving operational issues through the normal Delta Flight Operations process (e.g. direct contact with Scheduling, Crew Tracking, Duty Pilot, or the Chief Pilot Support Center). If, however, you are unable to resolve issues through the normal process or you have emergency/family issues that require immediate attention, please do not hesitate to call. ALPA is here for you—24/7.
 
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Special Weekly Flight Operations Update
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Hi everybody, this is Steve Dickson with a Special Flight Operations Update about Hurricane Sandy on Sunday evening, October 28th.

As I’m sure you’ve been following in the news, the storm is bearing down on the Northeast and will significantly impact our operations in this region for the next two days or so. Delta, along with other carriers operating in this area, will cease operations in the New York region beginning tonight.

Specifically, the OCC has scheduled the pull-down of service beginning tonight in PHL, EWR, LGA and JFK. No aircraft will remain on the ground in these stations during the storm, and there will be no scheduled operations on Monday. All spares in these cities will deploy to DTW or ATL to pre-position for the Tuesday afternoon restart. The OCC plans to re-start operations in these stations beginning on Tuesday morning or afternoon based on the storm’s track and our ability to re-position crews and equipment. Earlier this evening, we issued Critical Operations Update #1 – the first of several updates we’ll provide you over the next 48 hours or until the operation is fully recovered.

For crews scheduled to fly, check your schedule. Most cancellations have been loaded into the system now and should be reflected on your schedule, so please check eCrew and iCrew. Please avoid calling Crew Tracking unless you have a time-critical operational need. For crews laying over in the Northeast, the forecast for Hurricane Sandy calls for winds peaking around 80 knots when the storm makes landfall, which shouldn’t cause problems if you remain indoors. However, note that there may be transportation interruptions; for example, the NY MTA plans to shut down tonight and re-start sometime on Tuesday. Crews with extended layovers in the northeast will be essential for the start-up of operations on Tuesday, so check your schedule frequently via the VRU or iCrew. Please avoid calling Crew Accommodations unless you need immediate information about a hotel for a scheduled layover.

By tomorrow, we will have more detailed information about how we’ll be re-positioning crews to resume operations in all affected stations. Again, the Critical Ops Updates will provide details, so be sure to check your email frequently if you subscribe to these, or go the Flight Operations Home page on DeltaNet. Critical Ops Updates are posted on the left side.

Keep in mind that the OCC Duty Pilot will be extremely busy so please only call the desk for operational issues that are of an immediate nature.

However, we’ve expanded the hours of the Chief Pilot Support Center, and representatives will be available to answer questions through Tuesday, October 30th.

This will be a challenging couple of days for our crews and customers. I want to thank you in advance for your professionalism and patience as well prepare for this major IROP in the Northeast.

That’s it for now. Thanks for calling, and please stay safe. I’ll update this later in the week as conditions warrant.
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Delta recovery from Superstorm Sandy starts in Northeast
October 30, 2012
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UPDATED 4:45pm EDT 10/30/12.
Photo: New York-LaGuardia’s runways are under water and Delta may resume service there Wednesday.

Superstorm Sandy has left 7 million without power in the Northeast and its larger-than-expected storm surge in New York City didn’t overwhelm airport facilities but presents transportation challenges for Delta’s resumption of service there.

Delta’s cancellations have reached 3,000 from the start of the weekend and flying from New York did not resume Tuesday from any of the major New York airports. Delta will aim to have a domestic schedule at New York-JFK for tomorrow afternoon and then position flights at New York-LaGuardia late tomorrow night for an early Thursday launch according to the latest update from Delta’s Operations Control Center.
Delta ended service to the three major New York airports Sunday night and stopping service to airports across the region as the storm accelerated and made landfall in the evening near Atlantic City, N.J.
Delta resumed flights to and from Boston and from Washington D.C.-area airports today in the wake the storm.

Initial reports from Delta’s hub at New York-JFK show the water was close to two feet high in the Terminal 3 claim area and the Terminal 2 bag room also was flooded. Employees there are accounted for and evaluations are underway to determine when positioning flights might start arriving. JFK’s runways were under water and need safety inspection before flying can resume.
The storm has forced more than 18,000 flight cancellations industry-wide, eclipsing the totals from last year’s Hurricane Irene. Analysts estimate the industry could lose as much as $500 million in revenue and $100 million in profits from the storm.

Delta’s refinery in Trainer, Penn., got through the storm without damage and continued to operate through the storm. The Monroe Energy leadership team put its comprehensive hurricane preparedness plan in place, Monroe Chief Executive Officer Jeff Warmann said Monday.

Monroe Energy, a Delta subsidiary, purchased the refinery earlier this year as part of Delta's strategy to reduce jet fuel costs.

The recovery efforts in New York involve getting hundreds of Delta people to New York’s airports to assist in restarting operations. Standing water on runways and potential collision damage to the runway surface during the storm may complicate the restart at LaGuardia.

Delta’s service at Newark Liberty International aims to begin Thursday morning.

Passengers should go to delta.com for updates and for rebooking information. Watch for more updates on Delta’s operations here on DeltaNet.​
 
Hurricane Sandy: Update #03—The Aftermath​

Sandy is no longer a hurricane, but it has left a wide swath of incalculable destruction. Eight million people are without power, nine states in the region have declared a state of emergency, and lives have been forever changed. If you or your family has been negatively affected by Sandy or its aftermath, please remember that your union is here for you. If you need help with immediate needs, please call the MEC office at 1-800-USA-ALPA and ask to speak to a Delta Pilot Network volunteer. Help is available, for example, in the form of access to the Delta Pilot Furlough/Emergency Relief Fund and the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund. You may also ask to be put in touch with a Pilot Assistance Network (PAN) volunteer who can direct you to ALPA sponsored programs that provide financial and many others kinds of relief to ALPA pilots and their families.

Critical Ops Updates are being published by Flight Ops on an as needed basis and will serve as a primary source of information for Delta crews. These updates are available from links on the left-hand side of the Flight Operations page of the DeltaNet. Critical Ops Update #3 was published this evening and is included as an attachment to this Alert in order to ensure the widest possible distribution. ALPA will remain in close contact with Flight Ops throughout the recovery phase to ensure our crews remain informed and safe, and will provide additional MEC Alerts as necessary.

Here are two specific portions of Critical Ops Update #3 we would like to highlight:

Reporting for Scheduled Duty in NYC
Crews with scheduled duty (Regular rotation or Reserve) out of JFK, LGA or EWR on Wednesday should plan any necessary commute very carefully. If you encounter difficulties with your commute to NYC, please contact Crew Scheduling via the VRU (1-800-325-2739, Option 1, Option 5)as early as possible. They will arrange Positive Space seating to ensure you can make your scheduled duty as part of the operational recovery in New York.

Flight Operations will communicate any additional extra sections if/when they become available.

Hotel Accommodations
Flight Operations will work with crewmembers who need to commute to New York early to be in position to start the operation. Contact Crew Scheduling if you need assistance with a hotel room. Pilots with scheduled deadheads as part of a rotation will be provided hotel accommodations in accordance with the PWA.


Here are a few other highlights:
  • All three NYC area airports remain closed; Damage and facility assessments are in progress; See attached Critical Ups Update #3 for additional details on the three airports and Delta’s start-up plans
  • All other affected airports resumed operations earlier today
  • Flight 9862, a previously scheduled ferry flight from ATL to JFK this evening, has been cancelled
  • The Metro Transit Authority in New York was scheduled to resume limited operations earlier this evening with the goal of a “reasonable” amount of service by Wednesday
  • Scheduling Alert 12-12 was published yesterday and provides a review of reroute and recovery obligations
  • Scheduling Alert 12-13 was published last evening and provides a review of White Slip, Yellow Slip, and Green Slip entry procedures and additional considerations

As a reminder, DPN:24/7 was activated on Sunday morning to provide pilots and their families with a live point of contact for time critical issues related to Sandy. If your issue is routine or political in nature, please contact your LEC representative or the MEC Duty Officer as you normally would. Until Sandy is no longer a threat, if you or your family may be negatively affected by the storm, ALPA is here to help. Feel free to call the MEC Duty Officer at 1-800-USA-ALPA during normal business hours or 1-866-XXX-XXXX after business hours to speak with a DPN volunteer.

Note: DPN:24/7 is not a substitute for resolving operational issues through the normal Delta Flight Operations process (e.g. direct contact with Scheduling, Crew Tracking, Duty Pilot, or the Chief Pilot Support Center). If, however, you are unable to resolve issues through the normal process or you have emergency/family issues that require immediate attention, please do not hesitate to call. ALPA is here for you—24/7.
 
Stone Cold said:
Please keep us informed as much as possible. Some of us are trying to make it home, and Delta is not helping in this situation. This is much better news than I have heard all week! I am hoping everybody makes it to where they are going, and crews get home soon.
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Not a problem.

Hope no one was planning on flying to IST wednesday or back on Saturday!
 
To our pilots: NOTE: When ops spool up, and they will - be extremely vigilant about NOTAMS! As always, take the time and make the time you need with safety your #1.​

HOT - THIS JUST OUT:​

JFK UPDATE from Telcon……. 4's are closed and will stay that way for a couple of days. 31's available but only ILS 31R is in service. 13L will have the ILS operable the other direction. Plan to be open tomorrow. S​
taffing level OK and accountable.

******LGA- Photographical data shows all of LGA covered with water and most lower levels of the facility was flooded. Items of concern will be no lighting available for night time operations, and assessing the pier and asphalt strength for operations. Damage assessment has not begun fully and updates are due from the Airport Command Center shortly. Airport is without power and backup generators are on. Pax levels in terminal are fine and the employee lot is flooded. Updates to follow. Unconfirmed startup on November 1 being planned.

Watch for a Council 66 email update coming out soon.​
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Wow and ACY is operating and the direct hit went to the Jersey shore, not NY! I guess building an airport 9 miles from the ocean helps.
 
Power crews finally got the lights back on so EWR reopens tomorrow morning for limited operations at 7am. United reports that only select international and RON flights will operate but operations will be back to normal on Thursday. I will update you if I get any more news.
 
Pilotforhire587 said:
Power crews finally got the lights back on so EWR reopens tomorrow morning for limited operations at 7am. United reports that only select international and RON flights will operate but operations will be back to normal on Thursday. I will update you if I get any more news.
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Thanks, man! I'm stuck in IAH and I'm trying to get home. My car is at EWR. I did some checking online and already the 762 flight has about 18 seats open but 60 non revs trying to get on. Any flight I can get on (AUS, DFW, ATL, ORD, etc..) would be greatly appreciated!
 
Looking at my commute tomorrow at JFK. I already called scheduling and said "Hey, it's gonna be iffy on JFK. I can get to CVG for sure by 10 am, though." They said "Uh....we're IROP." Me: "Yes. I know, hence the reason I'm calling you on my day off to let you know, per the CrewMessage, that I might not be able to get to JFK, but I can be in another hub." Them: "Uh.....just do your best and call us if you miss your flights." Me: "I'd rather not burn a Call in Honest if I can help it, ya know." Them: "Yeah. Just call us."

FACEPALM

Even when I try to help, they apparently don't want it.....
 
WestIndian425 said:
Thanks, man! I'm stuck in IAH and I'm trying to get home. My car is at EWR. I did some checking online and already the 762 flight has about 18 seats open but 60 non revs trying to get on. Any flight I can get on (AUS, DFW, ATL, ORD, etc..) would be greatly appreciated!
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I was fortunate enough to get out of EWR late Sunday afternoon and then make it out of CLE on one of the last flights that wasn't cancelled on Monday to get home. I will be facing the same thing on Friday trying to get back to work though. Most flights on Thursday are still cancelled and Friday everything is oversold, for that matter, flights are over sold to EWR for the next week!
 
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