Airlines

Tribune reports of last minute notification prompt requests for information

April 4, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama today sent a letter to the Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, requesting assistance for workers who lost their jobs after yesterday's decision by ATA to shut down its operation.

ATA Airlines Boeing 757-33N: Photo by Eric Bégin (CC)

After the Chicago Tribune reported last minute notification calls to employees, Durbin and Obama raised questions as to the manner in which these calls were made and the responsibility that ATA has to its workers going forward.    » read more »

Hoffa Says Teamsters Aviation Workers Have Expressed Concerns for Years

April 3, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Thursday thanked Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar for investigating the Federal Aviation Administration’s cozy relationship with airline management.

Southwest Airlines aircraft maintenance at Midway Airport in Chicago: Photo by Jim Wissemes (CC)

Oberstar, D-Minn., chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on critical lapses in the FAA’s oversight of airlines.    » read more »

April 3, 2008 -- CHICAGO -- The union representing the pilots of ATA Airlines is condemning the airline’s management for its callous disregard of its employees and passengers in canceling all operations without warning early on Thursday morning.

“By shutting down in the middle of the night, this management group has let down its loyal customers and the flight crews, cabin crews, mechanics, and other employees who have made deep sacrifices over the past few years to keep ATA afloat,” said Capt. Steve Staples, chairman of the ATA unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l.

ATA Airlines Boeing 737-800: Photo by Matt Hintsa (CC)    » read more »

4/3/2008 -- The following statement was delivered by Senator Clinton at a press availability in Burbank, California this afternoon:

"I want to start by talking about a very troubling development that has come to light in regard to airline safety and regulation. This week we are learning a number of very problematic things about airline safety and about the Federal Aviation Administration’s approach to policing the airline industry. Southwest Airlines has a lot to answer for.

Southwest Airlines aircraft maintenance at Chicago's Midway Airport: Photo by Jim Wissemes (CC)    » read more »

Senator's Inquiry Follows Allegation that 99% Flights Have No Air Marshal on Board

04/02/2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today, urging him to provide more information about the number of flights in the U.S. that are actually covered by a Federal Air Marshal (FAM).

Photo by Bill Frazzetto (CC)    » read more »

Hoffa Hails Major Teamster Victory

March 31, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – United Airlines mechanics overwhelmingly chose the Teamsters Union as their collective bargaining representative by a vote of 4,113-2,631, the National Mediation Board announced Monday.

The 9,300 active and furloughed mechanics who comprise the bargaining unit will become Teamsters as soon as the NMB vote is certified. The board is expected to certify the vote by close of business Tuesday.    » read more »

March 31, 2008 -- HONOLULU, HAWAII – Hawaiian Airlines pilots expressed sadness Sunday at the news that Aloha Airlines had ceased operations after 61 years in business. Both the Hawaiian pilots and the Aloha pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA).

Aloha management announced that the airline was shutting down its passenger operations effective March 31st. The airline had declared bankruptcy last week for the second time in as many years and was forced to cease operations after it failed to find new financial backers.    » read more »

Leads Delegation on Economic Development Mission; Will Open Georgia Center in China

March 30, 2008 -- ATLANTA – Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue departed from Atlanta today on Delta’s inaugural non-stop flight to Shanghai, China. Governor Perdue is leading a delegation of business, academic and government officials from Georgia on a week long economic development mission to Shanghai and Beijing.

Delta Airlines Boeing 777-200LR

“This is the first direct link to China from the Southeastern U.S., and the only nonstop link from the U.S. East Coast to Shanghai,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “This is a great honor for our state, and for Delta, our hometown airline.”    » read more »

Ending A 61-Year Tradition Of Service To Hawaii

HONOLULU –-- Aloha Airlines announced that it will be shutting down its inter-island and transpacific passenger flight operations. Aloha’s last day of operations will be Monday, March 31, 2008. On that day, Aloha will operate its schedule with the exception of flights from Hawaii to the West Coast and flights from Orange County to Reno and Sacramento, and Oakland to Las Vegas.

Code-share partner United Airlines and other airlines are prepared to assist and accommodate Aloha’s passengers who have been inconvenienced.    » read more »

March 30, 2008 -- HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle today announced that the state, through its bankruptcy counsel, will ask the bankruptcy court not to allow the shutdown of Aloha Airlines' inter-island and transpacific flight operations until Aloha has shown it has exhausted all possible avenues for continuing its operations.

The state will also ask the court that Aloha Airlines be required to provide sufficient time and proper notification to employees of the shutdown and that all additional steps be taken to protect the interests and rights of Aloha employees given Aloha’s notice today that it will cease airline passenger operations at end of business, March 31, 2008.    » read more »

Union Seeks To Represent UAL Mechanics

March 19, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – The Teamsters Union said Wednesday that it’s time for UAL Corp. chief executive Glenn Tilton to run the airline like a company, not a tag sale.

The union was responding to the announcement that the airline plans to cut capacity and ground as many as 20 airplanes, or 4 percent of its fleet. UAL has began charging $25 for passengers to check a second bag and last week raised some fares by $50 per round trip.    » read more »

19 March 2008 -- The Indonesian government has suspended low-cost air carrier Adam Air, citing safety concerns. The budget carrier has been plagued accidents and mishaps in the last several years.

Indonesia Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Erfan gave the news.

"The Adam Air has been grounded since last night at zero o'clock," he said. "The director general of civil aviation, the ministry of transportation, has sent a letter to the management of Adam Air that stated operations has already been suspended."    » read more »

March 18, 2008 - “When ticket prices need to increase to pay for oil, airlines do it, and when ticket prices need to be raised to repair pilot contracts, airlines must do it then, too,” said ALPA's president, Capt. John Prater, to hundreds of the leading U.S. financial analysts on Tuesday. Prater addressed the 2008 JPMorgan Aviation and Transportation Conference held in New York City.    » read more »

Chicago, Ill., March 18, 2008—United Airlines’ announcement today that it plans to eliminate 15 to 20 planes from its fleet and delay the purchase of newer aircraft signals, once again, that the current management team is incapable of leading this airline. It is clear to the pilots that United CEO Glenn Tilton and his upper management team haven’t learned the simple lesson that an airline cannot shrink its way to profitability.    » read more »

18 March 2008 -- The U.S. aviation agency has ordered a review of maintenance records at all U.S. airlines, after safety violations were reported at Southwest Airlines.

The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Robert Sturgell, Tuesday said the recent lapse at one airline prompted the decision to confirm that all other carriers were in full compliance.

Sturgell said an initial review would be completed by March 28, and the full audit would conclude by the end of June.    » read more »