AMFA strike forces WestJet to cancel more than 150 flights beginning on Saturday

WestJet responds to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) notice that it has commenced strike action as of today, June 28, 2024 at 7:30 pm ET. 

“The government has officially stepped in to provide binding arbitration and ensure we get to a resolution; the only reason for this union to continue with a strike action is to create damage, disrupt the travel plans of thousands of Canadians over the July long weekend and to inflict significant costs on our business,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer. “Given arbitration has been ordered, a strike has no leverage on the arbitration’s outcome, so it is pure retaliation of a disappointed union. We are extremely outraged at these actions and will hold AMFA 100 per cent accountable for the unnecessary stress and costs incurred as a result.” 

The airline is actively and aggressively pursuing every avenue to minimize disruption, including asking for immediate intervention by the Minister of Labour and the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). Severe travel disruption is to be expected if the strike is not called off immediately, as the network takedown can no longer happen in the orderly manner that WestJet had originally planned.

As a result of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association’s (AMFA) decision to strike, WestJet has begun initiating significant flights cancellations for Saturday, June 29. The initial 150 flight cancellations will impact approximately 20,000 guests with limited reaccommodation options available. Additional cancellations are anticipated by Saturday morning if the strike is not called off or intervention does not happen immediately.

WestJet is actively and aggressively pursuing every avenue to minimize disruption, including asking for immediate intervention by the Minister of Labour and the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). As previously stated, WestJet had more than 250,000 guests scheduled to fly across the long weekend.

“A strike serves no one, as this negotiation has already been referred to binding arbitration. We know how painful this is for our guests and our people; however, we must start the immediate and safe parking or our aircraft,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer. “The scale of this deliberate disruption is devastating and AMFA must be held accountable for their reckless actions. Without immediate intervention, significant disruption will unnecessarily harm tens of thousands of Canadians along with the entire economic ecosystem that depends on our critical air service.”

Beginning Saturday, June 29, WestJet will begin parking aircraft in stations across Canada with the intention of operating a significantly reduced schedule by end of day.

Total cancellation summary

Thursday, June 27 – Friday, June 28, 2024

  • ~25 cancellations
  • ~3300 guests impacted

Saturday, June 28

  • ~150 cancellations
  • ~20,000 guests impacted

Jens Fehlinger to become CEO of Swiss International Air Lines

Jens Fehlinger will be the new CEO of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). He will assume his new role on 1 October 2024 and succeed Dieter Vranckx who will become a member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board as of 1 July 2024.

Jens Fehlinger (43) started his professional career at the Lufthansa Group in 2006, where he held various management positions. Among other things, he was in charge of strategy and business development at Lufthansa Airlines and the operational performance management for Lufthansa Group. During the Covid pandemic, he was responsible for the Group’s crisis management office and subsequently headed the ReNew restructuring project. In recent years, Jens Fehlinger has been Co-Managing Director of Lufthansa Cityline and at the same time established as managing Director the new airline Lufthansa City Airlines. Jens Fehlinger holds a commercial pilot’s license for the Airbus A320 and is currently an active pilot for Lufthansa Cityline.  Fehlinger holds a graduate degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Aviation Systems Engineering and Management from the University of Bremen, Germany, and a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Traffic and Transport from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. He also received an Executive MBA from the IE Business School in Madrid, Spain.Jens Fehlinger is married and father of two children.Heike Birlenbach, Chief Commercial Officer SWISS, will act as interim CEO until Jens Fehlinger takes over.

Emirates becomes the Official Airline Partner of The Championships, Wimbledon, unveils a new logo jet

Emirates steps onto the court for the first time as Official Airline Partner of The Championships, Wimbledon. Taking place from 1 to 14 July at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, the airline is set to serve world-class action throughout The Championships.

To mark its grand debut – the airline has unveiled a special A380 livery featuring the iconic Wimbledon logo placed in between two sporting silhouettes in action. The new livery will rally excitement as it heads to London Heathrow on 1 July, heralding the start of the third Grand Slam of the year.

The special decal will remain on the A380 aircraft throughout The Championships with scheduled services including London Heathrow, Manchester, Washington D.C., Paris, New York (JFK), Casablanca, Zurich, Brisbane, Barcelona and Perth.

Serving “fly better” experiences on the grounds

Emirates will showcase its award-winning hospitality throughout The Championships and run a variety of activities to keep fans of all ages entertained. The airline will also be activating its sponsorship rights throughout the tournament with its signature “Emirates Experience” stand at the All England Club’s Grounds. Fans can look forward to interactive experiences and exclusive giveaways including a chance to win a memorable holiday to Dubai with Emirates Holidays.*

Younger tennis enthusiasts can get involved in Roblox’s ‘Wimbleworld’ which features Emirates branded tennis courts and obstacle courses.

Taste of The Championships at 40,000 feet

Emirates will bring “a taste of The Championships” onboard all its flights to and from the UK in July. Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers will enjoy cream cheese mousse, strawberry compote, hazelnut streusel, and strawberry cheesecake.

First and Business Class passengers are in for a treat with strawberries and cream on offer, delicious pastries, and lemon strawberry cupcakes featuring a Championships logo dessert topper. Customers will also get into the Wimbledon spirit with bespoke Pimms cocktails served in the iconic A380 Onboard Lounge.

Passengers will also spot branded beverage coasters and headrests across the different cabins. First Class passengers travelling from Dubai to the UK will also be gifted Emirates branded Wimbledon 2024 towels, produced by Christy, the Official Towel Supplier of The Championships.

Fans who want to own a piece of the iconic event can also choose from a range of Christy Towels, A380 “Wimbledon” aircraft models, performance apparel, headwear, and other merchandise available on Emirates Official Store.  

Never miss a match point

Those following The Championships can stay on top of the action as Emirates will screen Wimbledon matches live in its dedicated Emirates Lounges in Dubai and the UK as well as across its fleet on ice – the airline’s in-flight entertainment system – on dedicated in-flight sports channels, Sport24 and Sport24 Extra. 

Wimbledon’s official film, featuring all the action from last year’s event, will also be available on ice, in addition to “Gods of Tennis,” “Novak Unmasked,” and other tennis movies, including “Silver Servers” and “McEnroe.”

Emirates lands an ace in the UK

Emirates is the Official Airline and Premier Partner of the ATP World Tour. The airline’s tennis portfolio includes the highest profile events in the world, including all four Grand Slams, and 60 other tournaments across the year. The airline enjoys on-court branding at all the Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, as well as net branding for all ATP tournaments.

In the UK, the airline is also a proud partner of Arsenal FC, the Emirates FA Cup and Lancashire Cricket Club, in addition to Emirates Old Trafford, and Emirates Great Britan SailGP Team.

Emirates currently serves the UK with 133 weekly flights across seven gateways including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Glasgow – utilising a fleet mix of Emirates A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline also recently announced its highly anticipated return to Edinburgh with a daily A350 service starting from 4 November 2024.

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Aer Lingus cancels another 122 flights due to IALPA’s strike in the July 3-7 period

Aer Lingus issues this statement:

“In order to continue to protect as many services as possible from the impact of IALPA’s continuing industrial action, Aer Lingus has had to take the step of cancelling 122 additional flights over the course of Wednesday 3rd July to Sunday 7th July (inclusive). Implementing these cancellations is to enable us to protect as many services as possible for as many of our customers as possible. These cancellations will be implemented today, and details will be communicated to impacted customers. Details of the services impacted are set out on the ‘Travel Advisory’ page of aerlingus.com.

Customers impacted by these latest cancellations between 3rd July and 7th July will be given the option to change their flights for free. They will also be able to claim a refund or voucher. These options will be communicated directly to impacted customers as well as travel agents, while the Aer Lingus ‘Travel Advisory’ page will also have up to the minute information on all the options.

Aer Lingus fully understands the anxiety being experienced by customers given the uncertainty caused by IALPA’s industrial action and is giving impacted customers as many options as possible.”

SAS’ restructuring plan approved by European Commission

The European Commission has today declared the Kingdom of Denmark’s and the Kingdom of Sweden’s participation in SAS’ restructuring process compatible with applicable EU State aid rules. The approval marks another important step forward for SAS in its transformation plan and in the on-going restructuring proceedings.

WestJet acknowledges the Minister of Labour’s direction for final binding first contract arbitration with AMFA

WestJet Logo (CNW Group/WESTJET, an Alberta Partnership)

WestJet on June 27, received confirmation that the Minister of Labour has directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to assist WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) in reaching a first collective agreement. The CIRB confirmed receipt and has taken actions to start the process.

WestJet and AMFA will enter final binding arbitration to resolve the outstanding terms of the collective agreement. The airline acknowledges the Minister’s direction to secure industrial peace, and AMFA has confirmed they will abide by the direction. Given this, a strike or lockout will not occur, and the airline will no longer proceed in cancelling flights.

“With the government’s actions, the summer travel plans of Canadians have been protected and we have a path to resolution,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer. “We recognize the significant impact the initial cancellations continue to have on our guests and our people, and we sincerely appreciate their patience and understanding as we resume operations.” 

WestJet is ramping up its operations as quickly and efficiently as possible, while ensuring the highest degree of safety. Guests are encouraged to continue checking the status of their flightsbefore departing for the airport.

JetBlue seeks to add Washington Regana National – San Juan service

JetBlue Airways has announced it intends to apply with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for slot exemptions to operate a second daily low fare nonstop flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The recently enacted Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorizes slot exemptions for five additional roundtrip flights at DCA beyond the airport’s 1,250-mile perimeter. JetBlue has operated the only daily nonstop service between DCA and SJU since the DOT awarded slot exemptions to the airline in 2012. Adding a second daily flight on this popular route underscores JetBlue’s longstanding commitment to Puerto Rico and will provide additional easy capital-to-capital service in both directions.

This application is part of JetBlue’s broader initiative to increase connectivity to and from Puerto Rico, including adding more domestic and international destinations, introducing the airline’s popular Mint premium service between New York and San Juan, and establishing a pilot and flight attendant crew base in San Juan. Additionally, adding a second daily flight on the route would support further connectivity to the U.S. Virgin Islands, including both St. Thomas and new service to St. Croix set to launch in December, as well as to additional destinations in the region.

Since becoming a part of the Puerto Rico community in 2002, the airline’s much-loved low fares and customer experience quickly positioned JetBlue as a preferred carrier on the island. JetBlue today employs more than 370 crewmembers across Puerto Rico – and growing. JetBlue also provides service at Aguadilla and Ponce, and with future announced service in San Juan, it will operate flights to 18 different nonstop destinations from the three airports it serves on the island by the end of 2024. The airline will average 46 departures per day from Puerto Rico this upcoming winter, more than any other airline.

Frontier Airlines Announces New Nonstop Service from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Atlanta

Frontier Airlines will begin daily nonstop service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on August 13, 2024. This is in addition to previously announced daily nonstop service from JFK to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS) also launching on August 13. To celebrate, America’s Greenest Airline is offering fares as low as $29*.

ALPA: FedEx Leaves Pilots Behind While Rewarding Shareholders

From ALPA:

On June 25, the FedEx Corporation reported fiscal year 2024 adjusted operating profit of $6.2 billion. The Corporation’s Board of Directors previously approved a 10 percent increase in dividends, a move intended to leverage free cash to enhance shareholder returns. The Corporation celebrated the gains of its DRIVE program—a financial planning discipline begun in 2023 that continues delivering shareholder value—and highlighted the transition to a One FedEx corporate restructuring plan that aims to integrate air and ground networks.

“While FedEx continues to reward shareholders, employees face substantial headwinds in the strategic transformation effort,” said FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council chair Capt. Jose Nieves. “We expect management to collaborate with us in negotiations. They need to be forthright in their plans and, ultimately, start bringing employees along on the transformational journey in accordance with sound organizational change management practices or risk failure in the process.”

Over the course of FY24, FedEx laid off thousands of employees, citing efficiencies gained in corporate realignment. The Corporation is poised to continue the process in FY25, announcing plans to reduce its head count in Europe by as many as 2,000 employees, including closing a pilot domicile in Cologne, Germany, according to a recent securities filing. FedEx Express pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), are a critical component to FedEx’s air network and overall financial success. The pilots are currently in labor negotiations for a new contract that aims to pace FedEx’s strategic changes in the process.

Since contract negotiations began in 2021, FedEx has repurchased billions of dollars of its stock, but failed to collaborate with the pilot group on its restructuring plans. After nearly three years of protracted negotiations, the pilot group is frustrated by the lack of transparency in the Corporation’s strategic direction. The parties reached a tentative agreement approximately a year ago, but ratification by the pilots failed as, among other issues, the Corporation’s plans created legitimate concerns which overshadowed the terms of the agreement.

“We recently restructured our approach to negotiations, aiming to address critical gaps in communication and align efforts to produce a tentative agreement that paces strategic change

and delivers industry-standard economic value to our pilots commensurate with the value shareholders expect of the Corporation,” said Nieves. The pilots’ approach will closely align with FedEx’s network realignment strategy, termed “Network 2.0,” and more specifically the air network plan called “Tricolor.” If successful, negotiations will preserve pilot jobs and maintain FedEx’s highly reliable organic air network.

In an informational picket conducted on May 30, 2024, FedEx pilots sent a message to the FedEx Corporation that they are closely tracking the transformation. They continue to criticize management’s lack of regard for pilot contributions to financial success, particularly during the shipping boom of the pandemic era, whereby FedEx realized record profitability.