Market Intelligence: -Airline Hiring
FedEx Pilots Hold Demonstration To Express Frustration
Hundreds of FedEx Express pilots, fellow crew members, and supporters held an informational picket in front of the FedEx Express Air Operations Center to express frustration over the lack of a new pilot employment contract. FedEx pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), have been negotiating for a new contract since May 2021 with several significant outstanding issues.
“Throughout the pandemic, while many were shutting down and working virtually, FedEx pilots were flying across the globe keeping the world economy intact. We have earned an industry-leading contract through these remarkable efforts and now is the time for FedEx to deliver,” said Capt. Chris Norman, chair of the FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council.
Armed with picket signs stating, “When the World Shut Down, FedEx Pilots Delivered,” hundreds of pilots stood together to send a strong, unified message to the negotiators on the other side of the table: Now is the time to resolve outstanding items and reach an industry-leading pilot contract. The parties originally entered focused negotiations with a mutually agreed to goal of reaching a new agreement by the end of May 2022—a date that has long passed.
“Several quality-of-life issues in our contract need to be resolved immediately. FedEx pilots have a proven track record of excellence, dedication, and unparalleled performance, and we deliver on the company’s ‘Purple Promise’ each day—and we need management to deliver a new pilot contract now,” added Norman.
ALPA president and former FedEx pilot group leader Capt. Joe DePete, added the following, “FedEx pilots exceeded all expectations during the pandemic and have more than earned an industry-leading agreement,” said DePete. “Our pilots have been delivering the world on time for years, now it is time for the company to recognize it.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 65,000 pilots at 40 U.S. and Canadian airlines.
Source: ALPA Press Release
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US Airline Flight School Partnership Covered on Sky News Australia
Australian media outlet Sky News Australia showcased US based Flight School Hillsboro Aero Academy, which formed a partnership with Regional Airline Horizon Air (part of Alaska Airlines Group), as part of its coverage of the ‘severe US Pilot shortage’.
The coverage includes mention of the joint flight training program between the flight school and airline called ‘Ascend Pilot Academy’, interview with Ryan Mohammed, Hillsboro Aero Academy’s Chief Flight Instructor and mentions Alaska Airlines pilot requirement in the future which officials from Alaska Airlines have stated to be hiring at least 500 pilots every year for the next 5 years.
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US Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Calls on U.S. Government to Help Protect Airline Pilot Jobs From Foreign Pilots
In a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), and Capt. Ryan Muller, chair of ALPA’s Spirit Airlines pilot group, ALPA called on DHS to help prevent U.S. airlines from misusing the “specialty occupation” visa designation that undercuts airline pilot jobs.
“Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, some U.S. airlines had begun to misuse U.S. visa programs—particularly E-3 and H-1B ‘specialty occupation’ visas—to avoid market pressures and artificially maintain pilot pay rates and work rules insufficient to attract qualified U.S. pilots. Though this activity slowed during the first part of the pandemic, we now have evidence of Spirit Airlines management scheduling recruiting sessions in cities in Australia in July,” wrote Capts. DePete and Muller.
Over the past several years, some U.S. airlines have attempted to use this troublesome scheme to exploit labor standards and usurp collectively bargained industry standards. Despite a verifiable excess of available, qualified pilots in the United States, Spirit Airlines is actively seeking to recruit pilots from Australia using the E-3 visa program. ALPA is calling on DHS to help set precedent that airline pilot positions are not classified as a “specialty occupation” and coordinate closely with the Department of State to ensure that E-3 reviewers are aware of such precedent.
“There is a growing trend of scapegoating pilots for an airline’s inability to attract and retain staff. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Aviation Administration, there are 1.5 pilots available for every airline pilot job, yet every day we see airlines pointing to a fictional pilot shortage to justify increasing the labor pool, weakening safety regulations, and reducing costs. We are committed to partnering with you to stop this race to the bottom globally,” added DePete and Muller.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 65,000 pilots at 40 U.S. and Canadian airlines.
Source: ALPA Press Release
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Aviation Consultancy Managing Director Shares Some Insights on Frequent Flight Cancellations
The persistent and frequent flight cancellations in Europe and in the US is heavily caused by labor shortage. It has been noted that the labor shortage is already existing pre-pandemic and was only exacerbated by the COVID.
“Now that you’re coming out of COVID, and the demand is actually showing signs of rapid recovery. You’re starting to see that they have fewer pilots, and the same amount of flying to do,” Alton Aviation Consultancy Managing Director Umang Gupta told the Media Outlet Insider. This was made worse by airlines who allowed pilots to opt-out during the pandemic, added Gupta.
Speaking with the Insider, Gupta said that one additional factor why labor shortage continues to worsen is that because workers now demand higher pays or a reflect in their career.
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