Agreement between American Airlines and its pilots for the holidays

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The american union of airline pilots and American Airlines have found Friday an agreement in principle to maintain the anticipated activity during the year-end holiday season, which is threatened by an internal malfunction.

A flaw in the computerized system of schedules had granted leave to a too large number of drivers between 17 and 31 December, a crucial period for the aviation and among the busiest of the year for the american airline company.

The worst of the crisis, according to estimates by trade union, up to 15,000 flights were left without a pilot. As of Thursday, only a few of the hundreds of flights were still without a pilot, according to the company.

The negotiations between management and the union representatives of the Allied Pilots Association (APA) helped to unlock the situation.

“With this agreement in principle, we expect that American Airlines will be able to maintain all of its planned flights in December (…)”, announced the APA in a press release sent to its members.

The management of the company had proposed in the middle of the week bonuses to its drivers, that it proposed to pay 150% of the hourly rate, to resolve this crisis. The trade union of drivers had found these incentives insufficient.

Holidays at this time of the year are assigned according to the seniority of the pilots and crew members.

(Alana Wise; John Terzian for the French service, edited by Henri-Pierre Andre)