TALPA puzzled by new BWIA pilot training Trinidad Daily News 10.27.02 While cash-strapped airline BWIA continues to implement measures to keep afloat members of the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TALPA) have asked their association to investigate the reasons why four BWIA Dash-8 co-pilots are being trained for command (captain) positions although the airline has announced that it will be terminating its Dash-8 service. A TALPA release yesterday stated that already two of the three Dash-8 aircraft in BWIA's fleet have been taken out of service, while the third operates on a partial schedule. "The members are also asking the association to assess the cost of the training, believed to run into thousands of US dollars, and how it would impact on the cost reduction programme which the company has asked all employees to contribute to," the release stated. "This cost is in addition to the leases and other costs for the two aircraft not in service." The TALPA executive confirmed that the request for the investigation had been received from some of its members since BWIA's CEO Conrad Aleong had announced last month that the airline would be getting rid of its Dash-8 fleet, and most of the crew, as one of the early cost saving measures. It is generally expected that the BWIA Dash-8 service will be taken over by a competing airline, Tobago Express, which plans to use the same type of aircraft on its routes. BWIA employees were informed on Wednesday that the airline had cut its non labour costs by US $700,000 per month and it is up to the workers to help the airline reduce its monthly concessions by US $300,000. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (I95.5FM) http://www.i955fm.com (Radio Station I95.5FM) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************