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UPS: Making Air Package Deliveries Essay

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History
UPS started delivering packages by air as early as 1929 with United Airlines operating ford Tri-motors. UPS’s first airline venture started as a 50/50 partnership with DHL in a company called International Parcel Express (IPX). IPX hired a group of former Transamerica employees to gain the air carrier certificate. With 60 aircraft in the fleet of IPX by 1987, it was becoming difficult to manage with all the different contract carriers and aircraft. UPS announced it would be taking over all air operations in 1988 and using the IPX certificate as the basis for UPS airlines. UPS Airlines started on January 28th 1988. Ten months after receiving the operating certificate from the FAA, UPS Airlines had grown to an operation of 94 …show more content…

Aircraft fleet management and scheduling
UPS operates 237 aircraft and charters 293 additional aircraft. One of the keys to UPS Airlines success is maintaining its aircraft and equipment in immaculate condition. Maintenance that often exceeds the required standards set by the FAA. It also heavily invests in the latest avionics technology available so that its aircraft are amongst the most technologically efficient in the industry.
Unlike their standard commercial-airline associates, UPS pilots operate mostly at night. Raising the circadian rhythm issue, this type of flying is often demanding and stressful. Despite those issues, the turnover rate at UPS is historically low since no other US carrier can match the financial security and performance of the global shipping giant.

Personnel issues
In February of 2003, UPS announced that it intended to furlough as many as 100 of its pilots. UPS planned to accomplish this by offering early retirements. With the purchase of newer aircraft meant that UPS did not need the three-man crews, which characterized a large percentage of their older fleet. One month later, the company placed the furlough on hold.
Pilots for UPS are paid on a different scale than most airlines. UPS pilots are paid by seniority and position in the cockpit regardless of aircraft type. Even with the difference, pilots of UPS still earn the same pay compared to

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