Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The union representing American Airlines’ pilots has filed suit in Dallas against the company in an effort to immediately halt all scheduled flights between the U.S. and China and directed all crewmembers to decline any assignments between the two countries. The Allied Pilot Association issued a statement Thursday citing&nbsp;“serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus.” American Airlines has already suspended two routes—between Los Angeles and Shanghai and Los Angeles and Beijing—from between February 9 and March 27.

 


The APA’s lawsuit notes that American Airlines currently operates approximately 56 monthly flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and airports in China&nbsp;and that each American Airlines crewmember working a trip to China must remain on the ground for approximately 32 hours between flights to comply with federal rest regulations. In its filing, APA cites warnings issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations discouraging all “nonessential travel” to China.

 


“The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers must always be our highest priority—first, last, and always,” said APA President Capt. Eric Ferguson. “Numerous other major carriers that serve China, including British Airways, Air Canada, and Lufthansa, have chosen to suspend service to that country out of an abundance of caution. The APA leadership has asked American Airlines management to follow suit, but to date they have not canceled any U.S.-China flights. We are therefore compelled to seek injunctive relief.”

 


American’s announcement on Wednesday to cut service to China due to the new coronavirus outbreak followed a similar move on Tuesday by United Airlines, which canceled 24 round trips from February 1 to 8. Delta Air Lines late Wednesday joined its two U.S. competitors in reducing service to China, slashing half its frequencies—from 42 to 21—from February 6 through April 30.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

Pilots’ Union Sues American Airlines To Halt China Flights

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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