APA Asks For Agreement From AA Similar To One Granted To Southwest Employees

At a conference for independent airline unions held recently in Plano, TX, Allied Pilots Association president Captain Eric Ferguson called for compensation for American Airlines pilots who have lost pay due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.

"The effect has been real and calculable," Ferguson said.

Reuters reports that the union contends that flight cancellations resulting from the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX have led to a significant decrease in flying hours for those pilots.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently promised that any compensation the airline receives from Boeing for lost revenue due to the grounding would be shared with the carrier's employees. "We're looking for the same thing," Ferguson said.

The APA is working with American to be sure that the airplanes return to service safely once the FAA recertifies the aircraft. Boeing continues to hold that the plane should be flying again in the 4th quarter of this year.

Preparing the aircraft to return to service for American Airlines after recertification will take about 30 days, according to the APA. Southwest projects it will take 45 to 60 days for that carrier, given the number of pilots that will need to be trained on the new MCAS software under development by Boeing.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report