Sides Have Until February 9 To Hash Out A Deal

Pilots and management at regional carrier Comair went down to the wire once again in talks Thursday for a new contract... until a federal bankruptcy judge extended the deadline for such an agreement to be reached, giving both sides a chance to 'cool off.'

Thursday's extension by US Bankruptcy Court Judge Adlai Hardin was the second time the deadline has been extended for Comair and its 1,500 pilots to agree to a new contract.

As Aero-News reported in December, both sides agreed to extend the original deadline for those talks to Friday, February 2. That agreement came days after Hardin ruled Comair could impose a new contract on its pilots.

Now, with that deadline looming, and Comair pilots once again threatening to strike if the airline imposed concessions... Hardin gave both sides until February 9 to reach a deal. If that date passes without a deal -- and the judge does not intervene -- there is nothing legally stopping Comair from imposing its terms.

If that happens, leaders of the Air Line Pilots Association have been authorized by Comair pilots to call a strike if an agreement is not reached, according to the Associated Press.

If this sounds like a classic stalemate, you'd be right... but as of Thursday night, both sides were still at the bargaining table.

FMI: www.comair.com, www.alpa.org