B737-700
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200
Time Pressure; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
Before we pushed off of the gate we were advised from the pushback driver to hold off on engine start; as we're were waiting for another aircraft that had already pushed back behind us. As we began the pushback; he cleared us to start engines and we did. When the pushback was complete; we did our flows and the before taxi checklist. At this point I saw an aircraft taxiing out for departure; that was also in the alleyway. We were on the left taxi line; which is the inbound line for the alleyway on our chart. I noticed that there was an aircraft taxiing into the alleyway; and they were already on the inbound line. Since no communication is necessary to taxi from the alleyway I turned on my taxi light and was adding power and asked my First Officer if it was clear right; and he said there was an aircraft just about to pass us. I was just about to pull right to clear the traffic that was coming at us. Had we not cleared right; we were both in agreement we would have hit Company who overtook us as they were taxiing rather fast. We're not sure why they decided to pass us on the right.
Air Carrier Pilot Crew reported a critical taxi conflict leaving the gate area.