Inside these posts: Pilots

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Vote on recall of head of United pilot union delayed

A vote to recall the head of United Airlines’ pilots union has been postponed until Thursday, sources told the Tribune. Get the full story »

Unions balk as Japan woes put flight crews on edge

Rising radiation levels and continual aftershocks rumbling through Tokyo are raising tensions between pilots and managers at U.S. carriers flying to central Japan.

Union leaders at United and Continental Airlines say flight crews are anxious about deteriorating conditions in Tokyo, where the carriers’ pilots and flight attendants recuperate from long trans-Pacific flights. Get the full story »

Continental fleet service workers ratify contract

Continental Airlines fleet service employees have ratified a contract reached with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The airline, a unit of United Continental Holdings Inc., called the vote a “positive step forward” in a statement released Wednesday.

Southwest Air pilots approve bigger Boeing jet

Southwest Airlines Co said its pilots approved changes to their labor agreement allowing the addition of a bigger-capacity Boeing Co 737 plane that will enable the carrier to transport more passengers as it expands.

The traditional low-fare airline, which is planning to buy rival AirTran Holdings Inc to bolster its presence in U.S. East Coast cities, said it would now move to finalize talks with Boeing on substitutions of 737-800 models for 737-700s. It added it expects delivery of its first 737-800 in the first quarter of 2012. Get the full story »

Stepped-up airport patdowns drawing howls

Stepped-up security screening at U.S. airports in the wake of foiled terrorism plots has provoked an outcry from airline pilots and travelers, including parents of children who say they are too intrusive.

With the busiest holiday travel season nearing, fliers face long security lines and new rigorous patdown checks begun in recent weeks aimed at discovering hidden explosives. So some travelers are questioning whether to fly at all. Get the full story »

Boeing: Airlines will need 1M new workers by 2029

Boeing says the airline industry will need to hire more than one million workers over the next 20 years to prepare for a wave of 30,000 new aircraft.

The airlines will need to hire 466,650 pilots and 596,500 maintenance crew workers between 2010 and 2029, the aircraft maker said Thursday — that’s an average of 23,300 new pilots and 30,000 maintenance workers annually from now until 2029, the company said. Get the full story »

New rules would mean fewer hours for sleepy pilots

Some airline pilots would fly fewer hours and others would fly longer under proposed rules to help prevent dangerous fatigue, transportation and labor officials said Friday.

The proposal would set different requirements based on the time of day, number of scheduled flight segments, flight types, time zones and likelihood that a pilot is able to get enough sleep, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in his blog. The proposal is being released Friday. Get the full story »

Union says Continental to recall 100 pilots

In a move reflecting the recovering business of health of airlines, the pilots union for Continental Airlines said Friday that the carrier plans to recall more than 100 furloughed pilots over the next 18 months. Get the full story »

Training on Boeing 787 all virtual

Pilot Gregg Pointon "flies" from the cockpit of a Boeing 787 full-flight simulator. (Elaine Thompson/AP)

Mechanics going through Boeing Co.’s 25-day training course for its coming 787 Dreamliner learn to fix all kinds of problems, from broken lights in the cabin to major glitches with its flight controls. One thing they won’t soon do: touch one of the planes.

Using both laptop and desktop computers inside a classroom festooned with huge diagrams, airline mechanics will train on a system that displays an interactive 787 cockpit, as well as a 3-D exterior of the plane. Using a mouse, the mechanics can “walk” around the jet, open virtual maintenance access panels and go inside the plane to repair and replace parts. Get the full story »

FAA says Boeing can start training 787 pilots

Boeing Co. said Monday it’s been given approval by the Federal Aviation Administration to start pilot training courses for its new 787.

The Chicago company called the approval a “significant milestone” as it ramps up to start flight training.

UAL and Continental reach agreements with pilots

United Airlines and Continental Airlines said Tuesday they hammered out transition agreements with their pilots’ unions, a critical step towards reaching a broader labor accord with pilots.

Talks between the merging airlines and pilots were halted late last month due to a dispute between Chicago-based United and its pilots over lay-off protections, sources told the Tribune.

At the time, the four sides were close to hammering out “Transition and Process” agreements that provide a framework for operations until the merging carriers gain a single FAA operating certificate, a process targeted to be completed during 2012. Get the full story »

Pilot talks stall in United, Continental deal

Efforts by United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp., and Continental Airlines to reach a joint contract with pilots before concluding their merger have hit a snag, pilots said Friday.

Negotiations on the early stage transition agreement have stalled over non-economic issues, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said in a statement. Get the full story »