Now, if SARS Would Just Go Away...
Pilot hiring returned to pre-war levels in April as the airline
industry weathered the Iraq war and impact of the SARS virus. A
total of 454 pilots were hired in April. (AIR, Inc. projects the
industry will hire approximately 5,000~6,000 new pilots in
2003.)
In April, 82
of the 195 total (44 percent) airlines/operators reporting to AIR,
Inc. hired pilots. The major airlines hired 76 pilots with four of
the 14 (29 percent) carriers expected to hire over the next several
months. In the national airlines segment, the most active, 12 of 32
(38 percent) hired a total of 121 new pilots. The jet operators
hired 114; non-jet companies hired 54. At the end of April, the
total number of pilots on furlough increased to 8,655 (9.15
percent), compared to 8,408 (8.89 percent) in March (out of the
total of 94,571 airline pilots).
American Airlines (AAL) narrowly averted bankruptcy in April as
all three major labor groups, including pilots represented by the
Allied Pilots Association (APA), accepted new wage concession
agreements. AAL pilots ratified a five-year deal including $660
million in wage concessions by a 60 percent margin April 15. Total
wage concessions by pilots, mechanics & flight attendants total
about $1.8 billion annually, saving the world's largest airline
from immediate Chapter 11 proceedings. In a related move, AAL
Chairman and CEO Donald J. Carty resigned April 24 following
revelations of a "secret" pension fund and bonuses for AAL
executives. Replacing Carty as chairman is Edward A. Brennan; the
new CEO is Gerald J. Arpey, who will also continue to serve as
president. Pilots at United Airlines, represented by ALPA, on April
11 ratified (by a margin of 82 percent) a wage concession and work
rules agreement saving the carrier $1.1 billion per year for six
years.
Job Fair Next Month
The
Southeast region Airline Pilot Career Seminar, Airline Forum, and
Job Fair will be held in Atlanta (ATL), at the Renaissance
Concourse Hotel Saturday, June 21. Airlines scheduled to attend
include ATA, FedEx, Southwest, AirTran, ASA, Comair and JetBlue.
Airlines invited to attend include Alaska, ACA, Flight Options,
Pinnacle Airlines, Island Air, Hawaii Aviation Contract Services
and many others. The seminar will feature topics on the pilot
hiring market, job search planning, pre-employment medical exams,
interviewing, written testing, and
applications/résumés/cover letters.
Seven Career Workshops will also be conducted. The first four
workshops will be held Friday afternoon and evening, June 20,
featuring CRM, Military/Airline Transition, Furlough Survival (a
new workshop), and Civilian/Airline Transition. Covered Sunday will
be Interview Survival, Airline Testing/Simulator Checks, and
Résumés/Cover Letters/Applications. Following
Atlanta, the next seminar is planned for Washington, D.C. (DCA) on
September 20, 2003.
Bolen Gives Congress a Rare Thumbs-Up
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