Midwest 717-2BL (55174/5124) captured on short final to

Rwy 1R at Las Vegas (LAS/KLAS).

(Photo by Michael Carter)

Airplanes with Midwest Airlines on the side will continue flying past Nov. 3, but Midwest Airlines pilots say they won't be flying them.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel quotes officials from the pilots' and flight attendants' unions as saying the key date is Dec. 1 when all "legacy" Midwest flight crews will lose their jobs.
The Air Lines PIlots Association's Midwest Airlines unit said Thursday that pilots "were informed that the operations of Midwest Airlines as we know it today will cease on November 3, 2009. On that day, the last of Midwest Airlines' larger Boeing 717 aircraft will be returned to the manufacturer and all of the remaining Midwest pilots will no longer fly any Midwest aircraft. "
Here's the statement from Anthony Freitas, chairman of ALPA's Midwest Airlines unit:

"While there will still be airplanes flying with 'Midwest' written on them, there will no longer be any of the pilots who truly provided 'The Best Care in the Air' operating them. All of the original Midwest flight crews are being outsourced in the final phase of dismantling our airline.
"Midwest's new owner hopes that if they keep the same paint scheme and cookies, no one will notice that the crews who helped build our airline's well-deserved reputation for award-winning customer service are gone.
"Clearly, the replacement of highly experienced Midwest pilots with lower-cost labor will be devastating for our pilots and their families. But the traveling public will also be affected because they will lose the high experience levels and the extraordinary dedication to service that the real Midwest pilots have always taken great pride in providing."

In a deal that closed in late July, Republic Airlines acquired Midwest from TPG Capital of Fort Worth. Republic is also acquiring Frontier Airlines.

(Terry Maxon - AirlineBiz Blog)