Tag Archives: Allied Pilots Association (APA)

Forbes: American Airlines pilots say operations managers must go after summer breakdowns

According to Forbes, “American Airlines’ pilots union (Allied Pilots Association) have voted to call for replacement of the airline’s operations management team, citing the airline’s shortcomings including breakdowns following summer storms.”

Read the full story:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2021/09/23/american-airlines-pilots-say-operations-managers-must-go-after-summer-breakdowns/?sh=64910eb97990

Allied Pilots Association remains confident in the Boeing 737-8 MAX 8

Allied Pilots Association, representing the pilots of American Airlines, issued this statement:

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, remains confident in the Boeing 737 Max and in our members’ ability to safely fly it.

The pilots for the world’s largest airline have the necessary training and experience to troubleshoot problems and take decisive actions on the flight deck to protect our passengers and crew. Our pilots are a major reason why American Airlines is an industry leader in aviation safety.

In the wake of the tragic loss of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on Sunday, people around the world are jumping to conclusions about the Boeing 737 Max. Federal and international authorities have just begun to look into Sunday’s accident. It is too early to determine possible causes.

APA and American Airlines jointly operate a Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program that monitors all AA flights. We get notification of anything that would be a precursor to the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) activating. We have reviewed data for more than 14,000 flights since the Lion Air Flight 610 accident in Indonesia last October, and we have not seen a single anomaly related to the MCAS.

The flying public should also be aware that American Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX planes are unique. After the loss of Lion Air Flight 610, Boeing disclosed that the MCAS can be triggered by a single erroneous Angle of Attack (AOA) event. The two dozen 737 MAX aircraft in the American Airlines fleet are the only ones equipped with two AOA displays, one for each pilot, providing an extra layer of awareness and warning.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is on site in Africa with the National Transportation Safety Board, has issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) for Boeing 737 MAX operators. We look forward to them completing their investigation and sharing the facts it will reveal.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by American): American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N342RX (msn 44466) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 104956.

American Airlines aircraft slide show:

American Airlines’ pilots approve the new five-year contract

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has announced its 15,000 pilots have ratified the new contract. The company issued this statement:

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing 15,000 pilots at American Airlines, announced its members have approved a new five-year contract which provides immediate pay raises of 23 percent and subsequent annual raises of three percent for the next five years.

American Airlines President Scott Kirby said, “Today’s results provide immediate and significant pay increases to our pilots, and represent another step forward in our integration. We are especially pleased that American is in a position to support pay increases that recognize the contributions of our pilots this early in our integration. We also acknowledge and applaud the hard work and leadership of APA President Capt. Keith Wilson, the APA national officers, the negotiating teams from the APA and the company, as well as members of the APA Board.”

American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/American-Airlines

Allied Pilots Association issues the following statement regarding delays at American Airlines due to maintenance items

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 10,000 pilots of American Airlines, issued the following response regarding recent media reports that pilots were disrupting flight schedules with trivial maintenance requests.

“American Airlines pilots are trained professionals who are responsible for flying their passengers safely around the world every day. The list of unresolved maintenance issues grows every day on each of the aging aircraft we operate, and we can’t ignore serious maintenance issues that could easily turn into safety risks. Our pilots will not compromise safety, ever,” said APA President Keith Wilson.

“American Airlines chose to reject our contract and the operational procedures and protections that go with it. Understandably, our pilots are taking a prudent and cautious approach in their operational decision-making process,” Wilson added.

Here’s a sampling of the substantive maintenance-related issues our pilots have documented in the past several days:

A left engine generator failed in flight
An aircraft sustained a lightning strike
The ground proximity warning system failed in flight
A partial flight control failure
Weather radar test inoperative
A fuel leak on right wing main tank
The left landing light was damaged
A wind shear warning failure
A brake anti-skid failure
The engine start valve failed to close

“During the past year, American Airlines has sustained record FAA fines totaling $162 million for improper aircraft maintenance procedures, a strong indication that management’s maintenance practices have raised concerns with regulators,” Wilson noted. “In addition, companies that own and lease American Airlines aircraft have formally complained to the bankruptcy court that AA management has neglected to perform routine maintenance on their aircraft.

“The maintenance situation is not going to get any better any time soon, since management announced plans to outsource many maintenance operations,” Wilson said. “When maintenance operations are shipped overseas, quality control and FAA oversight only become more difficult.”

American addresses bankruptcy judge’s concerns, makes a new push to void the pilot’s contract

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) through the AMR Corporation has listened to the concerns of bankruptcy court judge Sean Lane and revised its motion accordingly. AMR is now making a new effort to seek bankruptcy court approval to void the collective bargaining contract with its pilots through the Allied Pilots Association (APA) according to this report by Reuters.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Meanwhile, the creditors committee (after being briefed by AMR) urged both the pilots and the flight attendants to quickly reach a new agreement with management rather than take the consequences of a voided contract. The creditors told the unions AMR cannot sweeten the deal already tentatively agreed by management and union leadership. The pilot membership voted down the recent tentative agreement. APA’s president resigned after the members voted down this agreement.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

American:

American Airlines and its pilots are now closer to an agreement

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and its pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), are both facing a deadline for a bankruptcy court decision on the company’s request to void all contracts. The two parties are talking again. According to this report by the New York Times, the two parties are now closer to an agreement.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

American Airlines:

American’s pilots union board rejects the final contract offer, will the court void the current contracts?

American Airlines‘ (Dallas/Fort Worth) pilots union, the Allied Pilots Association, has rejected the final contract offer from management by a 11 to 5 vote and sent the contract to the members. Barring a reversal by the pilots, the decision of a contract now rests with the bankruptcy court judge. Judge Sean Lane is expected to rule on management’s motion to void all labor contracts and impose tentative terms tomorrow (June 22) according to this report by Reuters.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

American Airlines:

The Allied Pilots Association issues this statement concerning American Airlines’ plan to void the existing labor contracts

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is getting more pushback from its unions concerning its plans to get the bankruptcy court approval to void the existing labor contracts. The Allied Pilots Association, representing the 10,000 American Airlines’ unionized pilots, issued the follow statement:

“The Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 10,000 pilots of American Airlines, issued the following statement in response to the filing of an 1113(c) motion with the bankruptcy court by airline management:

“The 10,000 pilots of American Airlines remain absolutely committed to our airline’s successful restructuring, and to reaching a consensual agreement with management,” said APA President Captain Dave Bates. “We are well aware that a financially healthy company is a prerequisite to enjoying full, rewarding careers.

“However, we’re extremely concerned that despite giving lip-service to the importance of reaching a consensual agreement with APA, American Airlines management appears intent on having the bankruptcy court reject our contract,” he said. “If the court decides to grant management’s 1113(c) motion, management would then be able to impose new terms of employment on our pilots. Taking this step—one that could be fairly described as running roughshod over our contract—will not foster long-term success for American Airlines.

“In recent bargaining sessions with APA, management has repeatedly stated that a consensual agreement will be ‘impossible’ if we continue making proposals designed to keep our working conditions at or near industry-standard levels. Just saying no to everything the APA leadership has proposed at the negotiating table does not constitute good-faith bargaining. It also does not bode well for our ability to work collaboratively to address the many other challenges confronting American Airlines.

“We therefore urge management to rethink their strategy and join us in committing to good-faith bargaining, with the goal of reaching a consensual agreement at the earliest possible opportunity,” Bates said. “The alternative course—rejection of our contract by the bankruptcy court—is not in the best interests of American Airlines’ stakeholders.

“As we await management’s response, we will be making our case to the bankruptcy court that management’s 1113(c) motion is premature. We do not believe that management has fulfilled the statutory requirements that must be met prior to filing an 1113(c) motion,” he said.”

In conclusion this leads to us asking the following question: Is American Airlines attempting to become the world’s largest low-cost airline or are they striving to have around the same employee costs structure as its main U.S. competitors, some who have already gone through a Chapter 11 reorganization?

Time will tell. This is going to get heated in our opinion. Stay tuned.

American Slide Show: CLICK HERE

US Airways’ pilots oppose AA/BA/IB tie-up

US Airways’ (Phoenix) pilots, represented by the U.S. Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), are joining their fellow pilots at American Airlines, represented by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), in opposing American Airlines’ application for worldwide antitrust immunity with British Airways and Iberia.

Press release:

finance.yahoo.com/news/US-Airline-Pilots-Association-bw-3501818371.html?x=0&.v=1