Airlines

March 17, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and John Ensign introduced legislation today that would revise an arbitrary restriction on Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA) that limits competition and reduces choices for air travelers.    » read more »

March 14, 2008 -- PHOENIX—US Airways [NYSE: LCC] management received notification today from the America West pilots requesting to commence separate contract negotiations under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act.

Also today, the America West pilots have begun separate negotiations with US Airways management on future Airbus A330-200 widebody flying.

Following is a statement from Captain John McIlvenna, chairman of the union leadership group representing the America West pilots.    » read more »

March 3, 2008 -- CHICAGO – The pilots and flight engineers of ATA Airlines are warning that they will fight any plan to sell or fragment the airline if it fails to protect the job security of the cockpit crewmember group.

In a financial brief (Form S-1) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 9, Global Aero Logistics, Inc. of Peachtree City, Ga. announced that it is considering the sale of assets, including ATA’s scheduled service passenger operation that performs codeshare flying for Southwest Airlines.    » read more »

Union Represents Continental Mechanics, Seeks To Represent UAL Mechanics

February 28, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – The Teamsters union said Thursday it will oppose a merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines unless such a deal benefits workers at both airlines.

The Teamsters union represents 3,800 active airline mechanics at Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL). There are 9,300 mechanics at United (Nasdaq: UAUA) now voting on whether to switch their representation to the Teamsters from the Airline Mechanics Fraternal Association.    » read more »

Employees Picket, Demand Management Address Labor Issues

February 28, 2008 -- PHOENIX – US Airways (NYSE:LCC) employees today demanded that management address workers’ issues and work with labor groups to turnaround the fledgling airline. Employees picketed corporate headquarters with a large, 30-foot rat as a symbol of US Airways management’s anti-worker tactics.    » read more »

28 February 2008 -- Air travel is growing rapidly around the world and the fuel jets burn is a major contributor of greenhouse gases. Virgin Atlantic Airlines President Richard Branson demonstrated this week that using biofuel to power a commercial jetliner may make the sky a little greener.

With much fanfare billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson tested a Boeing 747 jumbo jet's ability to fly with biofuel powering its massive engines.    » read more »

December 2007 Employment Up 3.7 Percent from December 2006

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 -- U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 3.7 percent more workers in December 2007 than in December 2006, the 11th consecutive increase in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today (Table 2). FTE calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee.    » read more »

February 13, 2008 -- WASHINGTON—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), asked members of Congress today to remedy runway incursions and other airport safety issues facing America’s airline industry by increasing funding for the National Airspace System (NAS) modernization effort.    » read more »

February 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement in response to the recent announcement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of a new trial airport employee screening program at seven airports.    » read more »

12 February 2008 -- French air traffic controllers are in the second of a planned five-day strike that has disrupted some flights at Paris-Orly airport.

Half of the flights leaving Orly were canceled Tuesday morning, while others experienced delays. Air traffic is reported normal at Charles de Gaulle airport.

The communist-led General Labor Federation union called the strike to protest government plans to centralize air traffic control for the Paris region at a single site.    » read more »

Teamsters Union and the Business Travel Coalition Sponsor Summit on Risks of Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing

February 11, 2008 -- (WASHINGTON) - The Teamsters Union and the Business Travel Coalition co-sponsored a national summit on aircraft maintenance outsourcing today. The summit drew nearly 200 participants form the aviation industry, government agencies, labor, business, and Congress from 35 states. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) and Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minnesota) gave videotaped presentations at the event.    » read more »

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 -- U.S. airlines experienced a lower rate of on-time flights and more reports of mishandled baggage last year than in 2006, and passengers filed more complaints with the government about airline service than they did the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report which was issued today.    » read more »

February 4, 2008 -- HONOLULU, HAWAII – Hawaiian Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), ended weeks of intense negotiations today by endorsing a plan that will enable the airline to consummate a multi-billion dollar aircraft deal while the pilots continue to negotiate with management on other important contract issues.    » read more »

January 24, 2008 -- HOUSTON—Leaders of the Continental pilots union, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l., decided today to activate the union’s Strategic Merger and Acquisition Response Team Center (SMART). Start-up of the SMART center was in response to recent industry merger activity.    » read more »

New Bill Helps Pilots Obtain State of the Art Avionics

January 25, 2008, Juneau, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin today announced details of her administration’s comprehensive aviation safety initiative.

This multi-departmental effort includes a bill that will establish a new loan program in the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development. Under the program, low interest loans will be provided for the purchase and installation of advanced satellite based avionics in aircraft.    » read more »