The Air Line Pilots Association won the latest battle in the war on so-called regional airline outsourcing when an arbitrator derailed United Continental Holdings’ plans to place the CO code on 70-seat jet flights operated by United Express carriers from the Continental hub cities of Houston, Newark and Cleveland. The ruling, issued December 30, limits the capacity of any jet equipment operated by a regional affiliate from those three cities under the Continental code to 50 seats, at least until the sides reach consensus on a single, integrated collective bargaining agreement.
At issue, of course, stand differences between the scope clauses written into the respective pilot contracts at Continental and United, which continue to operate separately under the ownership of United Continental Holdings. In short, United’s scope clause–like most others in the U.S.–allows regional carriers to fly jets that hold as many as 70 seats. Continental’s scope clause limits regionals to 50-seat jets or to turboprops that hold no more than 79 seats.
