American, union reach deal to solve pilot staffing snafu

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

It’s official: There will be no Christmastime pilot shortage at American Airlines.

The carrier and its pilots’ union reached a deal that should allow American to operate normally during December despite an earlier scheduling system glitch that allowed too many pilots to request off.

American initially moved to remedy the problem by offering 150% pay on many flights, an effort to encourage pilots to pick up flights that needed to be staffed. However, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) pushed back, filing a grievance against management’s plan, saying it wasn’t consulted in crafting that solution.

Now, the two sides appear to be on the same page.

“We are pleased to report that together, American and the Allied Pilots Association have put that worry to rest to make sure our flights will operate as scheduled,” American Airlines said in a Friday afternoon statement. “By working together, we can assure customers that among the many stresses of the season, worrying about a canceled flight won’t be one of them. In short, if Santa is flying, so is American.”

“APA and management have reached an agreement in principle addressing our respective needs, and we have withdrawn our grievance,” the pilots union said in its own statement Friday. “With this agreement in principle, we anticipate that American Airlines will be able to maintain a full December schedule as planned for its passengers.”

Union spokesman Dennis Tajer told The Associated Press that details of the agreement will be released after pilots see the deal. The union said earlier this week that 15,000 flights had been left without a full pilot crew during the second half of December. American said a day later that it had already whittled that number to just a “few hundred.”

American, the world's biggest airline, says it expects to fly more than 200,000 flights in December.

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