Will Not Delay Merger Over Pilot Integration Issue

A federal judge has denied a request by ALPA on behalf of United Airlines pilots to delay the merger of finalization of United and Continental Airlines over an issue regarding the integration of pilot training procedures.

U.S. District Judge Sterlind Johnson said Thursday that the argument that differences in training would endanger the public was "too speculative" to delay the issuance of an SOC, according to a report from Reuters. The new training guidelines, in which United pilots will primarily be adopting Continental procedures, were scheduled to go into effect on Friday.

“We are disappointed that Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr., opted against issuing the Temporary Restraining Order we sought to prevent the implementation of the Company’s inadequate and unrealistic SOC Phase II procedures slated for September 30, 2011," Captain Wendy Morse, Chairman, United Master Executive Council, Air Line Pilots Association, said in a statement. "Safety has always and will continue to be first and foremost for each United pilot every time we enter the cockpit, and we continue to contend that this training does not meet our safety standards and is unrealistic. We’re sorry Judge Johnson did not find in our favor.

“The court concluded that the requirement to show ‘actual and imminent harm’ to warrant the ‘extraordinary and drastic remedy’ of injunctive relief was not met.

“We point out that the judge ‘does not, in theory, disagree with (ALPA) counsel’s statement that when it comes to airline safety, that we (United) shouldn’t “operate on hope.’”

“We call on the company to once again delay the September 30 deadline in good faith, and work with the Air Line Pilots Association in establishing realistic, workable training for the United pilots to complete this training that is associated with the company’s quest for a Single Operating Certificate."

FMI: www.alpa.org,www.nyed.uscourts.gov