Republic Airlines (Indianapolis International) chairman and CEO Brian Bedford says his airline has yet to talk to American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) over the possibility of Republic taking over some of the E175s originally intended for American Eagle Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth).
“The easiest way to answer that question is with the truth. We’re not having any conversations with American about additional growth,” Bedford said.
Republic is currently in the midst of a recruitment crisis that has begun to adversely affect the Group's operations. On the back of a pilot shortage, subsidiary Chautauqua Airlines (Indianapolis International) recently announced it would not try to renew its American Eagle and United Express 50 seat aircraft contracts when they expire this year.
“We have talked very publicly about our own staffing challenges. Our focus is on fulfilling our current obligations we have. We have significant growth on the books through first quarter of 2015. That’s really what our focus is on. I don't have any insights to share with you about what American’s plans are for its allocation of its large jets,” Bedford told the Dallas News.
After contract talks with American Eagle's pilot unions' collapsed, American Airlines said it was considering other options for the placement of its sixty EMB-175s on order from Embraer (EMB, São José dos Campos Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf).
