Ibhidi lika-Southwest Airlines Co. lokufumana imbangi encinci ye-Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. libe nesiphithiphithi emva kokuba abaqhubi beenqwelo-moya abasuka kwaba bathwali babini bengaphumelelanga ukujongana ngokukhawuleza namalungelo abantu abadala.
Ifandesi yenkundla yokubhanga ye-Denver-based Frontier iqhubekile ngoLwesine emva kokuba uMzantsi-ntshona ungenise ibhidi ye-170 yezigidi zeedola ngoMvulo kumntu ophethe ixabiso eliphantsi. UMzantsi-ntshona ukhuphisana kwifandesi ngokuchasene neRepublic Airways Holdings Inc., engenise ibhidi yangaphambili ye-108.75 yezigidi zeedola.
Kodwa i-Dallas-based Southwest, esona sikhulu sezaphulelo sase-US ngetrafikhi, ithe iyakuthenga kuphela iFrontier ukuba abaqhubi beenqwelomoya abamanyeneyo kuzo zombini iinqwelomoya bafikelela kwisivumelwano sobukhulu, obuchaphazela intlawulo kunye nokhuseleko lomsebenzi.
Abameli abasuka kuMbutho wabaqhubi beenqwelomoya zaseMazantsi ntshona kunye neFrontier Airlines Pilots Association baxoxisane de kwasezinzulwini zobusuku ngolwesiThathu kodwa abakwazanga ukwenza isivumelwano, uNeal Hanks, isithethi sabaqhubi beenqwelomoya abangama-5900 baseMazantsi-ntshona, utshilo uLwesine.
Isithethi saseMzantsi-ntshona sinqabile ukuphawula malunga nothethathethwano lokulinga. Kodwa uthe uMzantsi-ntshona uyaqhubeka nokuthatha inxaxheba kwifandesi yokutshona kwe-Frontier, ecwangciselwe ukugqitywa ngoMvulo. I-Frontier yafaka isicelo sokukhusela imali ngo-Epreli ka-2008.
Umnumzana Hanks uthe umbutho wokulinga uMzantsi-ntshona ucebise abaqhubi beFrontier babekwe ngaphantsi kwabo ngokwezikhundla eziphezulu. Abaqhubi beenqwelomoya baseMazantsi-ntshona bavulelekile ukuba baqalise uthethathethwano nabalingane baseFrontier, kodwa umjikelo omtsha weentetho ezisesikweni wawungekacwangciswanga, wongeze watsho.
Umbutho wokulinga umqhubi weFrontier, onamalungu angama-600, awuzange uphendule umnxeba ngoLwesine ufuna izimvo. Isithethi seFrontier sinqabile ukuphawula.
UJohn Stemmler, umongameli weFrontier's pilot union, uxelele I-Wall Street Journal ngasekupheleni kukaJulayi ukuba ubukhulu buyakuba "ngowona mcimbi mkhulu" kubaqhubi beenqwelomoya kulo naluphi na unxibelelwano noMzantsi-ntshona.
Umzantsi-ntshona mkhulu ngokuphindwe kayi-10 kuneFrontier, eneqela leenqwelomoya ezingama-51. Kodwa uMzantsi-ntshona unomdla wokufumana imithombo emitsha yokukhula phakathi kokudodobala koqoqosho. Emva kwamashumi amane eminyaka yokwanda ngokukhawuleza, ingeniso yaseMzantsi-ntshona yehle nge-7.9% ukuya kwi-4.97 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kwisiqingatha sokuqala sika-2009 ukusuka kwixesha langaphambili.
Ukuze isivumelwano sigqitywe, uMzantsi-ntshona ukwafuneka ufumane imvume evela kwabasemagunyeni abangathembekanga. Ngokufumana iFrontier, uMzantsi-ntshona unokuphinda kabini ubukho bayo kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya iDenver International kwaye uphelise imbangi enexabiso eliphantsi.
IRiphabhlikhi esekwe e-Indianapolis yinkampani ebambe iinqwelomoya zengingqi ezintathu. Inkampani, ebineedola ezingama-320 ezigidi zeedola kwingeniso yekota yesibini, ikholelwa ukuba iFrontier iya kunceda iRiphabhlikhi yahlukane ngaphaya kwemodeli yeshishini langoku njengekontraki engaphantsi kwiinqwelomoya ezinkulu.
UMzantsi-ntshona uthethathethwano ngesivumelwano sengqesho esahlukileyo kunye nabaqhubi bayo emva kokuba basikhabile isindululo seminyaka emihlanu senqwelomoya kwivoti kaJuni. Umnumzana Hanks, isithethi sombutho womqhubi wenqwelomoya, uthe iingxoxo ziqhubekile nenkampani ngoLwesithathu kwaye imanyano inethemba lokuba isivumelwano kwezo ngxoxo sinokufikelelwa kwisithuba seveki.
Ikhontrakthi yengqesho "yeyona nto iphambili" kumbutho womqhubi wenqwelomoya waseMazantsi-ntshona, ofuna ukuyisonga loo nto ngaphambi kokuba ifumane isivumelwano nabaqhubi beenqwelomoya, uMnu. Hanks wongeze watsho.
Umzantsi-ntshona unqabile ukuphawula ngoLwesine malunga nobume bezo ntetho.
