Tag: pilots (Page 7 of 7)

ExpressJet Takes Delivery of First New Embraer E175 Aircraft

May 1, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

ATLANTA, May 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — ExpressJet Airlines, a United Express carrier, this week took delivery of its first of 25 new Embraer E175 aircraft in a handover ceremony at the Embraer factory and delivery center in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

“The delivery of our first E175 represents a significant milestone in ExpressJet’s growth as an exclusive United Express carrier,” said Chairman and CEO Subodh Karnik. “I want to express my gratitude to our partners at Embraer and United Airlines as well as to the ExpressJet employees who have worked tirelessly over the past six months to make this day a reality.”

ExpressJet will take delivery of new E175’s through the remainder of 2019. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will serve as the airline’s first E175 base, with a second base location to be announced soon.

To support its E175 fleet growth, ExpressJet is hiring more than 600 new pilots in 2019. Pilots who sign on with ExpressJet can expect a quick selection process, an immediate class date, and to bid for flying within three months. Pilots interested in signing on with ExpressJet should apply at expressjet.com/pilots or airlineapps.com.

About ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines operates as United Express, on behalf of United Airlines (UAL), to serve more than 100 airports across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with over 3,300 weekly flights from bases in Chicago, Cleveland, Houston and Newark. ExpressJet’s fleet includes more than 110 Embraer ERJ145 and Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft, with 25 new Embraer E175’s being added in 2019. ExpressJet pilots enjoy top-tier pay and quality of life and a career path to United Airlines. ExpressJet is a subsidiary of ManaAir, LLC. For further information, contact 404-856-1199, corpcomm@expressjet.com.

Corporate Communications
Atlanta, Georgia
404-856-1199
corpcomm@expressjet.com

U.S. Names Experts to Boeing Certification Review Panel

April 22, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on Monday she named four experts to a blue-ribbon committee to review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aircraft certification process after two deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes killed nearly 350 people.

Chao said she was naming NASA’s former aviation safety program director Amy Pritchett and Gretchen Haskins, chief executive of HeliOffshore Ltd, an international expert in aviation safety and a former U.S. Air Force officer.

She also named Kenneth Hylander, chief safety officer at Amtrak and a former senior safety executive at Delta and Northwest airlines, and J. David Grizzle, chairman of the board of Republic Airways and a former FAA chief counsel.

The committee is “specifically tasked to review the 737 MAX 800 certification process from 2012 to 2017, and recommend improvements to the certification process.”

U.S. lawmakers have criticized the FAA’s program that allows Boeing Co and other manufacturers to oversee the process that ensures air worthiness and other vital safety aspects of new aircraft.

Chao said last month the panel would be co-chaired by retired Air Force General Darren McDew, the former head of the U.S. Transportation Command, and Lee Moak, a former president of the Air Line Pilots Association.

Federal prosecutors, the Transportation Department’s inspector general and lawmakers are investigating the FAA’s certification of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft. A joint review by 10 governmental air regulators is also set to start April 29.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Tom Brown)

SpiceJet in Talks to Lease Some of Jet Airways Airplanes

March 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) – India’s SpiceJet Ltd could benefit from cash-strapped Jet Airways being forced to ground planes, and the low-cost carrier is in talks with lessors to lease some of those aircraft, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Shares of SpiceJet rose as much as 7.2 percent on Wednesday in their biggest percentage gain since Dec. 18 as investors bet the airline could take advantage of Jet Airways’ woes.

SpiceJet last week was forced to ground its 12 Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 planes by India’s aviation watchdog, following safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people.

SpiceJet and Jet Airways are the only carriers in India that operate this type of aircraft and have a total of about 400 on order. The airlines also operate the previous model, the 737-800 among other Boeing planes.

The 737-800 makes up the majority of the Jet Airways fleet, and the airline is now operating only 41 aircraft, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday.

That means around two-thirds of its fleet is grounded for non-payment to lessors, maintenance or other reasons.

“Lessors are panicking as they haven’t been paid and if Jet goes for insolvency, their planes will be stuck in India, so many of them are chasing SpiceJet,” said the person quoted earlier.

The person said SpiceJet needs at least twelve 737s to cover the grounded MAX planes and it is negotiating for more. Jet Airways pilots are also queuing up to join the budget airline.

Jet Airways’ lessors have offered 50 aircraft to SpiceJet, according to a report by news wire IANS.

SpiceJet and Jet Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jet Airways shares dropped about 7 percent on Wednesday as its financial crisis deepened, with the Indian government calling for an emergency meeting and pilots threatening to go on strike over unpaid salaries.

The government has asked state-run banks to rescue Jet Airways without pushing it into bankruptcy, two people within the administration have told Reuters, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to avert thousands of job losses weeks before a general election.

The 25-year-old airline has defaulted on loans after racking up over $1 billion in debt, and owes money to banks, suppliers, pilots and lessors – some of whom have started terminating their lease deals with the carrier.

This has forced Jet Airways to cancel hundreds of flights, leaving passengers stranded and angry. The number of Jet Airways flights has fallen by 80 percent from a year ago, according to the DGCA.

(By Aditi Shah and Tanvi Mehta, Additional reporting by Arnab Paul in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Shreejay Sinha)

FILE PHOTO: A Jet Airways passenger aircraft takes off from the airport in Ahmedabad, August 12, 2013. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

Belgian Pilots Back Ryanair Pay and Conditions Deal

February 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian pilots have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a deal with Ryanair on pay and rosters, the Belgian cockpit association (BeCA) said on Friday.

The BeCA said that 98.5 percent of those participating in a secret ballot had voted in favour of the deal that the association said guaranteed stability for pilots for the next four years and harmonised working conditions and pay for all pilots based in Belgium.

Belgian cabin crew and pilots had reached a preliminary deal in October.

“However, it is not all over. It is now up to Ryanair to establish an appropriate local management structure that will guarantee the quick implementation of these commitments,” BeCa said in a statement.

Ryanair suffered a number of strikes last year by cabin crew and pilots, forcing it to cancel hundreds of flights, after the airline recognised unions for the first time in 2017.

The Irish low-cost carrier has sought to reach agreements with unions in a series of countries across Europe.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

Warren Buffett’s NetJets, Union Reach Pilot Labor Pact

January 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Reuters) – NetJets, the luxury plane unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc, has extended its contract with its pilots union by three years, avoiding the type of bitter labor dispute that it had with the union earlier this decade.

The tentative contract with the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, which represents 2,500 pilots, boosts pay, changes the compensation structure, and expires in 2026.

NetJets and the union said in a joint statement on Thursday that the accord followed six weeks of talks, which the Columbus, Ohio-based company began though the pilots’ 2015 contract wasn’t scheduled to expire until 2023.

More than 81 percent of the pilots voted last month in favor of the changes.

“The NJASAP Executive Board is exceedingly pleased with the outcome of this negotiation — an ambitious undertaking characterized by honesty, goodwill and a genuine commitment to continuing collaboration,” said union president, Pedro Leroux.

The contract was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. Berkshire did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NetJets’ labor peace contrasts with more than two years of contentious relations with the union that ended in 2015, after Adam Johnson was installed as chief executive.

The union, then also led by Leroux, had accused NetJets of trying to slash jobs, obtain givebacks on health care and work rules, and bait pilots through bogus Twitter posts to conduct work slowdowns that could result in their being fired.

In contrast, Johnson said on Thursday the contract extension was “built on a foundation of trust and transparency.”

Berkshire employed more than 377,000 people at the end of 2017, and most are not unionized.

Buffett, who flies on NetJets planes, told shareholders at Berkshire’s 2015 annual meeting: “We have no anti-union agenda whatsoever, and we think we have sensational pilots.”

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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Ryanair Hopes To Close Union Deals By Christmas

October 22, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ryanair (RYA.I) hopes to reach deals with all of its major unions by Christmas, its chief executive said on Monday, in a sign an end may be in sight to disruptions which have hit its profit and shares.

The Irish low-cost carrier, Europe’s largest, on Monday reported a 7 percent fall in profits in the six months to Sept. 30 on high fuel costs and intense competition.

But it said these factors were helping it to resolve its industrial relations troubles.

“Given the adverse environment that’s out there for airlines and the number of job losses being reported in recent weeks both by pilots and cabin crew, there is a much more sensible, common sense approach being taken by the unions,” Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said in a video presentation.

O’Leary said that recent progress in talks left Germany and Belgium as the only two large markets for the airline where recognition agreements had not been secured.

“We would be hopeful of concluding agreements with them this side of Christmas,” he added.

The fall in profit was less than the 9 percent drop forecast by analysts and Ryanair shares were 4.2 percent higher at 12.00 euros at 1100 GMT.

Ryanair’s shares are almost 40 percent down from a peak of 19.39 euros in August last year before the industrial relations issues began.

A staff revolt forced management to recognise unions for the first time last December and the airline has since struggled to put in place union recognition agreements.

A spokesman for Belgium’s LBC-NVK union said it was waiting for an offer from Ryanair on Thursday and had warned the airline they could strike again if there is no progress.

A spokesman for German unions VC said he saw “no real progress” in talks with Ryanair, which also needs to secure recognition deals in the Netherlands and Sweden.

On Friday it said it had reached agreement with British, Portuguese and Italian pilots and was close to a deal with Spanish pilots, although the British union said the deal had not been approved by its members yet.

Ryanair issued a profit warning on Oct. 1 citing damage to bookings from strikes and cutting its forecast for full-year profit by 12 percent.

But on Monday, O’Leary said much of the weakness of recent weeks was sector-wide rather than specific to Ryanair.

Over-capacity in European short-haul will push Ryanair fares down by 2 percent in the six months to March 31 compared to the same period last year, O’Leary forecast. He warned he would not rule out a 3 percent fall.

“We are entering into a grim winter in terms of declining air fares,” he told an analyst conference call. “But moving into the summer of 2019 I would expect to see some upward traction on pricing… following oil prices with a 12-month lag.”

Ryanair, which makes most of its profit in the summer, reported a profit of 1.2 billion euros ($1.38 billion) in the six months to Sept. 30, better than the 1.127 billion euros forecast in a company poll of more than 10 analysts.

($1 = 0.8685 euros)

(Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri and Alexander Smith)

Image from https://www.ryanair.com/us/en/

Alaska and Virgin America Pilots Win Big Pay Increase

November 1, 2017 / WIL BALDWIN

Alaska and Virgin America pilots have been awarded big pay increases through an arbitration ruling. The arbitration ruling awarded the pilots bigger increases than Alaska Airlines management had sought, but less than the increases sought by pilots. Senior Captains from both air carriers will see their pay increase to $251 an hour, effective today. Senior Captains at Alaska Airlines had been earning $216 per hour, while a senior Captain at Virgin America had been earning $189 per hour. That equates to an increase of 16% for Alaska pilots, and almost 33% for Virgin America pilots. While the new agreement also includes some additional improvements to retirement plan contributions, the union did lose its bid to prevent the company from flying larger regional jets.

The Alaska Air Group closed its acquisition of Virgin America in December of 2016. The merger combined two airlines that were at the top of the customer satisfaction rankings in the United States. However, Alaska’s $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America allowed the pilots union to re-negotiate compensation talks due to a clauses in their contract. This increase in pilot pay now comes on the heels of Alaska missing its earnings estimates last week as higher fuel price contributed to soaring costs. Revenue was also hurt by a price war in the California market, and Southwest Airlines has just announced it will soon begin service to Hawaii. The Southwest effect, the term that has been coined to reflect a drop in airfare prices anytime Southwest enters a new market, could also affect Hawaiian revenue in future quarters.

Virgin America was founded in 2004, and began operations out of San francisco International Airport in 2007. The new air carrier became the first airline in the United States to offer Wi-Fi internet on every flight in May of 2009. The airline began service to Toronto from both Los Angeles and San Francisco in June of 2010. Virgin America began flying to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in December 2010, and ended its service to Toronto in April of 2011. Following the repeal of the Wright Amendment in October 2014, the carrier moved their Dallas operations over to Love Field. Virgin America announced an order for 60 new Airbus A320’s, with the order split down the middle between the existing model and the NEO (New Engine Option model) in January of 2011. The Alaska Air Group has announced plans to retire the Virgin America brand sometime in 2019.

Southwest Airlines pilots suing Chicago

May 13, 2016 / WIL BALDWIN

Southwest Airlines pilots are suing Chicago over a billboard they claim was banned by the city at Midway Airport. City Hall decided to bar the advertising that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association wanted to post at the airport complaining about their lack of pay increases. In the suit, the pilots union is claiming that the City of Chicago’s refusal to allow the billboard at Midway Airport is a violation of their First Amendment rights of free speech under the constitution. The union wanted to get the billboard up prior to the Southwest Airlines shareholders meeting to be held in Chicago on May 18. The City has stated that it decided to ban the billboard due to new guidelines that were issued during the previous summer that disallow any and all political or public issue advertising at Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports.

Southwest Airlines pilots argue for wage increases

The advertisement that was denied showed Southwest Airlines pilots holding a sign stating “Shareholder returns: $3.1 billion; Pilot raises: $0” along side the phrase “The Pilots of SWAPA welcome Southwest shareholders to Chicago”. The city rejected the advertisement twice, including a “slightly” modified version of the phrase, according to the lawsuit. The pilots union is seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow the billboard to be posted prior to the shareholder meeting. The pilots are angry, claiming that they have not had a raise since 2011. The last contract that the pilots union had expired in 2012. The pilots union had negotiated a tentative agreement on a new contract last year. That contract collapsed when it was overwhelmingly rejected by the 8,300 members of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association last November. The union elected a new president and selected a new negotiating committee following the rejection of the tentative deal last year.

Southwest Airlines pilots

Southwest Airlines pilots seek Max raise

March 1, 2016 / WIL BALDWIN

Southwest Airlines pilots union is seeking a Max-imum raise. The airline is currently the launch customer for the Boeing 737 Max aircraft, but the pilots are stating that they will not fly the airplanes without a new contract. The Boeing 737 Max is not current specified in the existing labor contract, as the airplane did not exist at the time that contract was signed. Southwest Airlines is claiming that the new Max is the same as the current version of the existing 737, with the exception of an updated engine and landing gear, so it does fall under the existing contract. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association just rejected a new contract proposal last November. New negotiations are scheduled to begin between the two sides next months. Delivery of the first aircraft is currently scheduled for the third quarter of 2017.

Southwest Airlines pilots new contract negotiations

The airline and the Southwest Airlines pilots union failed to disclose the terms of the proposed contract that was rejected. Southwest is trying to curb rising costs with increased productivity as part of its pay raise proposal. The existing contract was signed in 2012, and both parties are bound by that contract until a new one is signed. This means that any changes outside of the current contract scope would have to be negotiated into a new contract to be effective. The airlines position is that the new 737 Max is the same aircraft type as Boeing’s 737-800 specified in the current union contract. The Southwest Airlines pilots union says the existing contract agreement states that each aircraft type to be flown by the pilots is clearly listed by type and model number. This would leave the only real solution to be a new contract that is agreeable to both parties. Southwest wants to use the new aircraft to cut the higher costs of flying its less fuel efficient older 737 models. The aim is to remove all the 737-300 and 737-500 models from the airlines fleet by the middle of 2018. Boeing’s rollout schedule for the Max has been ahead of schedule. This is most likely due to the fact that there are minimal changes to the aircraft over the previous generation. The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to make a decision on whether or not pilots currently qualified to fly Boeing’s 737-700 and 737-800 models will be automatically certified to fly the new Max aircraft. If not, they will be required to be re-trained on the newer type.

Southwest Airlines pilots

Southwest Airlines pilots argue for wage increases

Southwest Airlines pilots new contract negotiations

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