He may be facing charges in Fargo for setting fire to his plane's lavatory, but flight attendant Eder Rojas knows how the criminal justice system works. That's why he's updated his Myspace page to read:
iM BaCk iNoCeNt UnTiL PrOvEn GuiLtY!!!
His current mood is angry, but things could be worse. The judge in his case decided to release him into his father's custody instead of remanding him until his trial starts on July 21. Rojas will be facing a maximum penalty of 20 years for allegedly setting a fire in the lav of his Compass Airlines flight on May 7.
We're looking forward to some live Myspace trail-blogging!
A flight attendant for Northwest subsidiary Compass Airlines set fire to his plane on May 7, according to authorities. Eder Rojas was apparently so mad that he got assigned the flight between Minneapolis and Regina, Saskatchewan that he sneaked a lighter past security and used it to spark up some paper towels in the lavatory while in flight. After smoke filled the cabin, he apparently had second thoughts and extinguished the flames with the help of another FA and a passenger.
Pilot Steve Peterka managed to put the plane down safely in Fargo, North Dakota. Only later did investigators find the lighter and get suspicious. Now Rojas is facing up to 20 years if convicted of starting the fire.
So in the wake of these charges being made public, how does he feel? According to Myspace: Anxious!
Since we're not friends with him on Facebook, we can't figure out if he's also lying about his age on that site: On Myspace he's 21, but court papers list him as 19. What we can tell you, though, that he's part of the Robert Morris College network. Let's go, Eagles!
Forgive us if we haven't been breathlessly reporting all the latest merger gossip: All these rumors and anonymous sources have us more than skeptical. But since everyone seems to be involved in something these days, here's a cheat sheet for all the merger mania swirling in the industry:
Delta and Northwest: These two are getting together, pending approval from the US government. You can keep up on both carrier's plans at the pompously named newglobalairline.com. Oh, and before you believe the hype that nothing will change when they get together, Northwest CEO Doug Steenland just announced that, yes, they probably will be cutting some service.
Before you start planning your next trip with what could be the country's largest carrier, better wait for the deal to be approved. But wait, didn't Delta and NWA already announce a merger? They did, but Northwest's pilots are resisting a deal.
You probably won't notice it on the new marketing website created for the airline, but a mention of the sticking point is there:
With respect to Northwest pilots, Delta has committed to use its best efforts to reach a combined Delta-Northwest pilot agreement, including resolution of pilot seniority integration, prior to the closing of the merger.
In other words: Hang on one sec, while we beat these folks into submission. And we can think of at least one other person who won't like this news: Rep. James Oberstar. The congressman from Minnesota declared his anti-merger stance the last time Delta and Northwest were flirting. Can't imagine he'll enjoy the idea this time around, especially since Delta headquarters will be in Atlanta not Minneapolis.
As for us? We'll be standing by to welcome our new global airline overlords until they can, you know, actually get some pilots on board.
Well, the superairline is as good as dead. Pilots at Delta and Northwest couldn't hash out a compromise over seniority, a major sticking point on a merger.
While the airlines could potentially get together without the pilots on board, Delta doesn't think that's a good idea. And so for now, the two legacy carriers will fly solo into the brave new world of $110-a-barrel jet fuel. Bring on the surcharges!
The Delta-Northwest merger hasn't flatlined yet, though pilots are still wrapped up in a weeks-long argument over seniority. Even if execs wanted to walk away from the deal now, it appears doing so could be fatal for the carriers. Now that oil has surged past $100-a-barrel, neither airline seems prepared to go it alone:
Delta CEO Richard Anderson, shortly after crude oil reached $103 a barrel, told his employees a week ago that Delta's 2008 business plan was built on $90-a-barrel oil.
Both companies recovered from bankruptcy last year after serious reorganizations, says the Minneapolis Star Tribune. But rising oil prices and the increasing popularity of foreign carriers and domestic LCCs have challenged those already-dated business models. A successful merger may be their only hope.
With pilots from both Delta and Northwest still wrestling over seniority, hopes for a successful merger are circling the drain.
The Financial Times just reported that if no announcement was made within two weeks, the deal should be "assumed dead."
At the center of the debate is pilot seniority. Delta has a relatively young pilot pool that currently enjoys high seniority, and they don't see much reason to give it up.
Perhaps the two companies should have seen this coming. The Houston Chronicle says that two years after America West and US Airways combined, pilots are still fighting over who's on top -- for good reason:
To airline pilots, seniority is just as important as pay. Their place in the pecking order determines what kind of planes they can fly, what routes they're assigned, whether they can be home for the holidays.
So potentially fewer cheap seats and disgruntled pilots? Maybe it's a good thing we're still waiting on a deal.
The Salt Lake Tribune hints that the deal may be off the table entirely:
Although the pilots may have settled pay and other issues, the lack of an agreement over seniority appears to have pushed the final stage of merger talks into this week--or may have scuttled a deal altogether.
Seniority amongst pilots is a big, big, big deal as it determines where they fly, when they fly, where they live and how much they earn. And when there's a merger, determining seniority amongst pilots for both airlines ultimately determines who stays and who goes.
As for us, we just hope Delta and Northwest can finally put this story to rest and announce a deal--or not. We're getting sick of all the speculation!
0 Comments - Add Yours
by pbb
