Airline Division Week In Review - September 27, 2014

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Teamster Mechanics Represent at Fall FAA Aviation Safety Infoshare Fifteen mechanic and related Teamsters representing Event Review Committees and Flight Safety committees from five airlines took part in the FAA Aviation Safety Infoshare conference in Baltimore, Maryland this week. Members from UPS, SWA Material Specialists, ExpressJet, s-UAL and s-CAL took part in discussions that covered subjects, including the FAA proposed changes to AC 120-66B which governs ASAP/MSAP programs, Human Factors, Just Culture, L.O.S.A for Aircraft Maintenance and as always, “Mechanic Fatigue” to name a few. “The TAMC commitment to Aviation Safety was visible to the entire industry as Teamster Mechanics easily outnumbered the other Union MX groups combined,” said Airline Division Director Captain David Bourne. “I’m extremely pleased at the TAMC’s presence at the conference and their focus on being the pre-eminent voice for mechanics,” he went on to say. “A tremendous amount of credit and thanks goes to Locals 19, 2727, 781, 210, 455, 856 and 986 for their continued support of their Safety Committees. They are the backbone of this process,” said International representative Chris Moore. A full report on the three day event will be available in the TAMC Aviation Professional Newsletter due out at the end of October. Airline Industry News Governmental and Regulatory U.S. passenger airlines employed 386,243 full-time equivalent workers in July, 1,000 more than in June and 4,944 more than July 2013. The 1.3% year-over-year increase is the largest industry employment jump since 2012, according to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Google and other search sites say that the Department of Transportation's proposed rules for airfareswould complicate web searches by wrongly classifying search sites as ticket agents. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx talks about the effects of airline consolidation and the financial health of the industry. "The industry has gone from being chronically unhealthy to a much more stable and healthy place," he said. "And that is good for the country." The contract employee accused of starting the fire at an FAA facility outside Chicago that canceled and delayed hundreds of flights today is a 36-year-old man who used an unidentified accelerant and acted alone, according to the Aurora, Illinois, chief of police.  Airlines, Industry and Labor The union that represents the 400 pilots of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air say pilots are leaving the airline at accelerated rates to work for companies that are offering higher pay and benefits. Analysts predict Southwest Airlines will enjoy growth after the expiration of the Wright Amendment next month. The Trefis Team writes "as the carrier is well established and very well recognized in the Dallas market, its additional flights will find many takers." Flight attendants to get pay raises but no profit-sharing in new American contract Hawaiian Airlines has named Sean Menke as executive vice president and chief operations officer. Menke has previously served as president and CEO for both Pinnacle Airlines Corp. and Frontier Airlines Holdings Doug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines, plans to honor the history of the carrier. "We plan to paint some 'heritage' aircraft -- modern planes painted with logos from the past from airlines that have formed today's American," he writes. The aircraft will be painted in one of seven liveries: AirCal, Allegheny, America West, Piedmont, PSA, TWA and Reno Air. Parker started out his career in aviation at America West.