Pilot union pushes American Airlines management to lay out fleet plans for large regional jets The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American Eagle Airlines and Executive Airlines, said American Airlines management should be required to lay out its plans for acquiring large regional jets. In a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane’s court Tuesday, ALPA said those plans need to be made public before Judge Lane confirms a plan of reorganization for American, American Eagle and parent AMR. In its filing, ALPA noted that “the projected future status of the Eagle operations has been the subject of continuing discussion and varying Debtor positions during this case.” Among the issues are outsourcing of flying to Republic Airlines, an third-party carrier, who last week began operating 76-seat jets for American, and the future of the Embraer jets in American Eagle’s fleet. “The issues pertaining to Eagle’s future operations include Eagle’s fleet, whether Eagle will operate any further large regional jets and, connected to this, whether Eagle operations and financial results will be consistent with projections in the Disclosure Statement and feasible,” it stated. Therefore, “it is essential that the Debtors present current and updated evidence as to the status and business plan for Eagle operations and fleet – current and multi-year projections,” the union said. It urged the judge to make the airline provide a “a sufficient evidentiary record” of its plans. ALPA leaders at American Eagle recently turned down a request by incoming American Airlines president Scott Kirby for contract changes that would allow American Eagle to pay new pilots less than current pilots. Kirby currently is president of US Airways, but will take the same job at AA after American and US Airways merge. ALPA told members the airline officials then went to PSA Airlines, a US Airways Express carrier owned by US Airways, to talk to pilot union leadership there about getting the large regional jets in exchange for the cheaper labor deal. In a Monday update to members, ALPA leader Tony Gutierrez said there are efforts afoot to organize a united effort to fight a so-called “B-scale” for new regional pilots: Last week, I also coordinated a teleconference with MEC Chairmen and Negotiating Chairmen from the regional carriers represented by ALPA. We held this call to discuss what is occurring on our respective properties, in particular US Airways’ attempt to secure a B-Scale at American Eagle and in doing so, change the regional industry from a career opportunity to temporary pilot employment. I am also keeping open lines of communication with the pilot leadership at non-ALPA represented regional carriers. Prior to the teleconference, your negotiating team and I reached out to the Pinnacle leadership and were already working on an in-person meeting for all of ALPA’s regional pilot leadership. That meeting will take place next week at ALPA’s headquarters in Herndon, Virginia in order to continue this discussion and to find ways to join together so that we can help to mitigate and ultimately reduce the whipsaw tactics that our mainline counterparts so readily employ. In addition, I am seeking support from this group on an industry-wide letter, signed by each regional’s pilot leadership that commits to the rejection of a “B Scale”, or different working conditions for any subgroup of the regional pilot population. Gutierrez is chairman of the ALPA master executive council at American Eagle. Pinnacle Airlines pilots agreed to a new contract heavy with concessions early this year as Pinnacle was reorganizing its finances in bankruptcy proceedings. On May 1, Delta Air Lines took ownership of Pinnacle. Delta CEO Richard Anderson told analysts earlier this year that it has provisions with its regional partners to reset their rates over time to the level of the second cheapest of Delta’s regional contracts, whatever that might be. That prompted the incoming American leadership to begin responding to that potential cost disadvantage by setting up the lower pay rates for new American Eagle pilots. aviationblog.dallasnews/2013/08/pilot-union-pushes-american-airlines-management-to-lay-out-fleet-plans-for-large-regional-jets.html/
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 03:02:38 +0000
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