U.S. Airlines ordered to transport troops

[OC]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...raq_airlines_3

WASHINGTON - Commercial airlines are being pressed into military service to transport troops as the Pentagon continues its Persian Gulf buildup for a possible war in Iraq.

The airlines were flying troops Monday under an order by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld mobilizing the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, a fleet of commercial passenger and cargo planes that can be used to move people and equipment in emergencies.

The Defense Department announced late Saturday it was activating the first stage of the fleet, making it only the second time it has done so in the 51-year history of the program.

[Nija]

isn't that their part of the agreement for the money that was given them in the wake of 9/11 and all their bitchin that they are going out of business?

[raimin]

they agreed to do this back in the 50's. The airlines only benefit, is once the order is finished, whenever military needs to charter any airlines, they will use those who volunteered. Don't know how many airlines will volunteer now that they are all declaring bankruptcy.

[gear02]

Originally posted by Nija
isn't that their part of the agreement for the money that was given them in the wake of 9/11 and all their bitchin that they are going out of business?

Nope.

The reserve air fleet, established in 1951, consists of aircraft that commercial carriers have agreed to make available for military use in times of crisis and when there are not enough military aircraft to handle all the work. In return for participating, carriers are given preference for the defense departments peacetime passenger and cargo business and guaranteed that the burden of carrying out a deployment will be spread fairly among all participating.

It's not part of the relief package they got last year. It's something seperate.

[gear02]

Originally posted by raimin
they agreed to do this back in the 50's. The airlines only benefit, is once the order is finished, whenever military needs to charter any airlines, they will use those who volunteered. Don't know how many airlines will volunteer now that they are all declaring bankruptcy.

There are 11 carriers signed up for this first stage of mobilization, Honda said by phone from command offices at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

They are American Airlines, American Trans Air, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, North American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Omni Air International, United Airlines, US Airways and World Airways.

and they're not volunteering. They're REQUIRED.

The reserve fleet is mobilized — and airlines have 24 to 48 hours to provide the aircraft — only when there are not enough volunteers. The Pentagon has been having trouble finding volunteers from the industry, plagued by bankruptcies.

[Nija]

that's what i get for not reading the whole article. thank you for the schooling =\

[ProMinx]

[rant]But it is important to note that the airlines did originally volunteer these aircraft. This is not "being pressed into service". These airlines have been reaping the benefits in the form of reduced taxes because they long ago volunteered to step up should this call arise. Besides, only aircraft that the airlines previously volunteered for service can be "drafted". This is like referring to the activation of reserve troops as drafting. The news is just trying to make this sound more dramatic, but these airlines have been receiving compensation for this possibility for decades...and the government has paid for this mobilization many times over.[/rant]

ProMinx