airline pilots

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Pilots Warned of 'Spike' in Safety Concerns at American

Allied Pilots Association describes tools left in wheel wells, lack of maintenance checks

(Newser) - As if you needed more reason to be wary of flying, the American Airlines pilots union is reporting a "significant spike" in safety-related issues. The Allied Pilots Association warned members not to be rushed, intimidated, or "pressured into doing something that doesn't pass the 'smell test,...

How Badly Do Regional Carriers Need Pilots? This Badly

American subsidiary PSA Airlines is trying to woo pilots with $250K bonus package

(Newser) - PSA Airlines is an American Airlines-owned regional carrier, and it's in need of captains—badly enough that it's trying to woo FedEx and UPS pilots by offering bonuses that add up to $250,000. FedEx, for its part, is actually encouraging its pilots to consider the offer. FlightGlobal...

Co-Pilot Charged With Threatening to Shoot Captain Mid-Flight

Jonathan Dunn faces up to 20 years in prison on charge of interfering with flight crew on 2022 flight

(Newser) - As Delta passengers sipped coffee and stared at screens, the pilots steering their plane were engaged in an argument that resulted in one allegedly threatening to shoot the other. Jonathan Dunn, a former Delta co-pilot, was federally indicted Oct. 18 on a charge of interference with flight crew after allegedly...

Suspect in Midflight Scare: 'I'm Not Right'

Psychotic breakdown may be behind incident with Alaska Airlines pilot

(Newser) - The investigation continues, but authorities at the moment don't think an alarming incident aboard an Alaska Airlines jet is related to terrorism, reports CNN . Instead, the suspect accused of trying to shut off the passenger plane's engines midflight is believed to have suffered some kind of mental breakdown....

Cops: Pilot Who Hit 'Breaking Point' Took Ax to Parking Barrier

United Airlines pilot charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief

(Newser) - United Airlines pilot Kenneth Henderson Jones was apparently having a rough day on Aug. 2—which was bad news for a parking lot barrier he encountered at Denver International Airport. The 63-year-old pilot was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief after he attacked the exit barrier with a full-sized ax, hitting...

American Airlines' Pilots Just Got a Nice Surprise

Under new contract, pay will go up 21% immediately, then even more

(Newser) - Under a new contract ratified Monday , American Airlines pilots are getting a significant pay bump. Their compensation will increase by 46% over its four-year duration, with immediate changes including a 21% boost in pay and improved sick leave, vacation pay, and training pay. The airline also increased 401(k) contributions and...

Pilot on Vacation Ended Up Flying 300 People Out of Maui

United captain says he's happy he could help

(Newser) - A pilot who was on vacation in Hawaii when wildfires raced through Maui says he ended up in "polo shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes flying the airplane back." United Airlines Capt. Vince Eckelkamp and his family were due to fly out from Kahului Airport on Maui on Tuesday....

United Airlines Pilot Arrived at Work 'Staggering, Eyes Glassy'

He was arrested on suspicion of drunkenness, sentenced by French court

(Newser) - A 63-year-old American pilot arrived at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, where he was scheduled Sunday to fly a United Airlines plane to Washington, DC. Problem being that he was obviously drunk, police say. "He was staggering slightly, his eyes were glassy, and his mouth pasty" when he showed...

Virgin Atlantic's Uniform Update Lets Crew Show 'True Identity'

Virgin Atlantic introduces gender-neutral skirts/trousers

(Newser) - Airlines are known for their often-rigid rules around the uniforms their crew members wear, often leading to complaints that the garb is impractical, uncomfortable, and outdated. Virgin Atlantic is now attempting to remedy the "outdated" part by releasing a new policy that gets rid of "gendered uniform" requirements...

Plane Misses Destination as Pilots Sleep

Ethiopian Airlines jet landed safely later

(Newser) - Airline pilots have warned about exhaustion among flight crews increasingly becoming a problem. A missed landing this week might be an example. Two pilots on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Khartoum to Addis Ababa apparently fell asleep at the switch and didn't wake up until their Boeing 737-800 had...

American Airlines Pulls Out of 3 Cities

American blames shortage of regional pilots

(Newser) - Saying it's running short of pilots, American Airlines has dropped regional service to three cities. Flights at airports in Toledo, Ohio; Ithaca, New York; and Islip, New York, will end Sept. 7, the Hill reports. A spokesperson said the airline will contact travelers who have a ticket for a...

Pilots Are Returning to Work, and Some Are Making Mistakes

Many have barely flown for 18 months

(Newser) - If you haven't flown for a long time because of the pandemic, you're far from alone—tens of thousands of pilots worldwide have barely flown in the last 18 months, and rusty pilots tend to make mistakes. Bloomberg reports that dozens of incidents involving out-of-practice pilots have been...

As Bookings Rebound, Airline to Hire 300 Pilots

Business still is down from 2019, but bookings are climbing

(Newser) - United Airlines said Thursday it plans to hire about 300 pilots, another sign that airlines feel more confident that a recent increase in travel will continue. The airline plans to start by hiring pilots who received conditional job offers or had a class for new hires canceled last year, the...

Pilots, Airline Strike Deal on Layoffs
Pilots Sidestep 3,800 Layoffs
Sep 28, 2020 6:50 PM CDT

Pilots Sidestep 3,800 Layoffs

Federal pandemic aid expires Thursday

(Newser) - Pilots at United Airlines voted to approve an agreement that will avoid about 2,850 furloughs that were to take effect this week and another 1,000 early next year. Airline officials said Monday that the agreement will reduce involuntary job cuts to fewer than 12,000 if Congress fails...

City of Denver to Pony Up for Wrongfully Arrested Nude Pilot

Andrew Collins may still sue airport hotel after indecent exposure charges were dropped

(Newser) - Andrew Collins has long insisted he did nothing wrong by standing naked at his hotel window overlooking Denver International Airport—and now, his lawyer says, it's payback time for the trouble he's endured since. NBC News reports the city of Denver has settled with Collins and will pay...

737 Max Crashes Aren't All Boeing's Fault
Someone Else Is at Fault
in Boeing 737 Crashes
longform
Sep 21, 2019 12:40 PM CDT

Someone Else Is at Fault in Boeing 737 Crashes

Inexperienced pilots are also to blame, says the New York Times

(Newser) - Boeing isn't the only one to blame. So concludes an impressively detailed New York Times article about two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes since last year—which, it turns out, were caused at least partly by pilot error. "Look, we know as a fact that half of airline...

Two Pilots Are Detained After Failing Breath Tests

Police take men into custody in Glasgow

(Newser) - Two pilots about to take a United Airlines flight from Glasgow to Newark failed their breath tests this weekend. The men were taken into custody and are due in court in Scotland on Tuesday, the BBC reports. "These pilots were immediately removed from service," United said. The statement...

Aviation Unions on Shutdown: We Can't Calculate the Risk

Reps for air traffic controllers, pilots, flight attendants say air safety system 'deteriorating'

(Newser) - Is it still safe to fly during the government shutdown? That's a question with a potentially uncomfortable answer, at least according to the unions representing more than 130,000 pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers, per the New York Times . In a statement , the presidents of the three...

Southwest Passengers Describe 22 Minutes of Terror
'I Thought We Were Goners'
THE RUNDOWN
Apr 19, 2018 7:04 AM CDT

'I Thought We Were Goners'

Passenger describe terror on Flight 1380

(Newser) - Passengers say they went through 22 minutes of terror after an engine blew on a Southwest Airlines 737-700 Tuesday, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia. Some say they prayed and tried to comfort those around them as the oxygen masks fell amid a steep descent. Other say...

Alaska Airlines Pilot Says She Was Raped by Captain

He remains at work, Betty Pina alleges in lawsuit against airline

(Newser) - Last June, an Alaska Airlines pilot reported that her captain drugged and raped her during a layover in Minneapolis. Nine months later, he's still in the job, according to her lawsuit against the airline. It describes how Betty Pina, 39, and Paul Engelien, 50, arrived in the concierge room...

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