The so-called “Jets for Jobs” program agreed upon by US Airways as part of the labor contract ratified by its ALPA-represented pilots over the summer has produced neither jobs nor jets for anyone so far. The deal, negotiated by the Air Line Pilots Association as a partial offset for the package of wage and work rule concessions from US Airways pilots, has instead driven a new wedge between mainline and regional pilots and raised the prospect of more stagnation at US Airways’ independent regional affiliates.
Jets for Jobs, a concept proposed by ALPA’s US Airways unit after the Arlington, Va.-based airline furloughed 1,073 pilots following 9/11, not only requires the airline to staff any new jet positions created by its wholly owned MidAtlantic Airways subsidiary with out-of-work mainline pilots, it also grants the furloughed crewmembers the right to staff half of all new flying slots created by new RJs at the independent Express affiliates. So while US Airways tries to execute a plan to add regional jets at Mesa Air Group, for example, Mesa’s pilots have flatly refused to sign off on Jets for Jobs, leaving the sides at a stalemate and threatening Mesa’s US Airways Express growth plans.
