From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Sep 25 11:23:14 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:23:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Flight bumping leads to lawsuit Message-ID: <20070925072306.J1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 September 2007 ; Florida Times-Union Flight bumping leads to lawsuit http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/092507/met_202543522.shtml --- Airline wouldn't let man with disability board, though it had before. By Paul Pinkham A Jacksonville man whom U.S. Airways grounded because of his disability has sued the airline for discrimination. Andy Gates, 26, said he wasn't allowed to board a June 6 flight from Jacksonville to Milwaukee, even though he had flown unaccompanied before, including a U.S. Airways flight eight months earlier. Gates has dystonia, a neuromuscular movement disorder that causes muscles to spasm and contract uncontrollably. Although he uses a wheelchair, he can traverse short distances without assistance, his lawyer said. They sued the airline in Duval County Circuit Court last month, but the case was removed to federal court Thursday. Gates also filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation. U.S. Airways admitted in court filings that it prohibited Gates from flying alone, saying federal law required him to fly with an attendant. It informed Gates in writing that airline employees considered him a safety risk. Though the Americans With Disabilities Act doesn't apply to air travel, the federal Air Carrier Access Act prohibits airlines from discriminating on the basis of disability, but airlines can deny access for safety reasons. Gates called the incident "embarrassing and frustrating. There's no excuse for it." The president of the Chicago-based Dystonia Medical Research Foundation called the airline's action "outrageous." "They fly children all the time. They can't accommodate someone who needs a little assistance?" Claire Centrella said. "There should be no reason why they shouldn't have allowed him to fly." According to the lawsuit, Gates was interviewed by a U.S. Airways nurse in October, and she cleared him to fly unaccompanied then. He said she told him he should inform flight desk agents about his condition on future flights, and he would be cleared to fly. But in June, he said he was stopped as he was about to board by a U.S. Airways shift manager. "He said the pilot looked at him and decided he was too handicapped to fly," said Patsy Gates, the plaintiff's mother. "He looks much worse than he actually is." The shift manager said the airline would fly his mother to Milwaukee free as her son's attendant but couldn't guarantee a return flight to Jacksonville. Because his mother was scheduled for surgery two days later, Andy Gates decided not to fly and got reimbursed for his $295 ticket. A few days later, he flew to Milwaukee unaccompanied and without incident on Delta Air Lines. "They [U.S. Airways] made an arbitrary decision based on appearance," said Gates' attorney, Aaron Bates, who's known him since childhood. "They looked at him, and they basically humiliated the man." Bates, who has muscular dystrophy, said the case has implications in the disabled community. Patsy Gates said her son, a writer who graduated from Florida State University, was always independent-minded. "That's why he was so upset," she said. "He said, 'Mom, what if they try to do this to other people?'" From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Sep 25 11:31:37 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:31:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Trouble at US Airways Message-ID: <20070925073130.S1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 September 2007 ; Flight International Trouble at US Airways http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/09/24/216987/trouble-at-us-airways.html --- By David Field US Airways is responding to its sagging service levels by bringing in a new executive to serve as chief operating officer but faces worsening labour problems. The Phoenix-based carrier has struggled to integrate the operations of its two predecessors, the former USAir on the east coast and America West Airlines in the west. For the first six months of the year, US Airways had the lowest on-time performance and highest number of complaints of the 20 largest airlines. DoT statistics also show US Airways ranked 14th among 20 carriers in mishandled baggage reports. US Airways has admitted that operations at its major hub at Philadelphia have been unacceptable. Earlier this year it appointed an executive to improve the hub. In September the airline also appointed a new chief operating officer, Robert Isom, who is tasked with improving the carrier's entire system. Ex-Northwest manager Isom says he will stress on-time arrivals and departures. The airline had been without a chief operating officer for a year. The integration of the operations of the two predecessors has in part been hobbled by difficulties in integrating the two different pilot workforces. Its pilot group in the east has protested the way the carrier plans to merge the seniority status of the two groups and says it will leave the Air Line Pilots Association to form a new union. The new group says about 2,300 of the 3,200 "east" pilots favour the new union. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Sep 26 11:22:25 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 07:22:25 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways awarded new China route Message-ID: <20070926072218.C1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 September 2007 ; CNN Money US Airways awarded new China route http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-19813783.htm --- LONDON -- The US Department of Transportation said it has awarded US Airways (NYSE:LCC) a new route between its Philadelphia hub and the Chinese capital, Beijing. The airline said the daily service to China will begin in 2009 with wide-body Airbus A340 aircraft configured to seat 269. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Sep 26 11:24:05 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 07:24:05 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] $25M US Airways center now under construction at Pittsburgh International Airport Message-ID: <20070926072357.Y1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 26 September 2007 ; Pop City $25M US Airways center now under construction at Pittsburgh International Airport http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/pittsburghairport0926.aspx --- A new $25-million US Airways flight operations control center is now under construction at Pittsburgh International Airport. The 60,000 square-foot facility will employ 600 aviation professionals and serve 1,400 daily US Airways' flights. "From the Pittsburgh perspective, we got a lot of support form the state--they provided a nice financial package. The property was a very good value and investment for US Airways, and the professional personnel that was already here was also a factor," says JoAnn Jenny, with the Allegheny County Airport Authority. "There are 450 who work here now. Once the Pittsburgh and Phoenix centers are combined, as many as 150 new jobs could be added." Salaries at will average about $40,000 per year. Project architect is George Halkias with Downtown-based L. Robert Kimball & Associates. [1] Contractor is Mascaro Construction. [2] The new facility control is expected to be completed in 2009. The new construction follows US Airways' February announcement that Pittsburgh had been selected over Phoenix and Charlotte as the location for its new flight operations control center. The project has received ongoing support from the Tri-County Airport Partnership [3], which consists of Washington County Commission Co-Chairman Bracken Burns, Beaver County Commission Chairman Dan Donatella and Allegheny County Airport Authority Board Member Richard Shaw. A September 20th groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Gov. Ed Rendell, US Airways President Scott Kirby, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, and Allegheny County Airport Authority Chairman Glenn Mahone. --- [1] http://www.lrkimball.com/ [2] http://www.mascaroconst.com/ [3] http://www.alleghenycounty.us/news/2003/230321.asp From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Sep 26 20:50:31 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:50:31 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Explosives scare closes part of airport Message-ID: <20070926165025.P1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 26 September 2007 ; Indiannapolis Star Explosives scare closes part of airport http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/LOCAL/709260492 --- By Meagan Ingerson A suspicious package containing security training materials led airport police to close one concourse of the Indianapolis International Airport for about an hour this morning. An unidentified passenger found the item in a stack of gray bins at the Concourse D security checkpoint, which is run by the Transportation Security Administration, an airport statement said. Police shut down the checkpoint and the adjoining concourse from 5:10 to 6:20 a.m. A perimeter was set up while police bomb experts removed the material. Airport police investigators do not believe the item was left with the intention to cause harm or delay any flights, the statement read. The incident is still under investigation by airport police. A police report this morning stated the package included a battery, wires, a switch, and a plastic bag containing a modeling-clay-like substance meant to resemble Semtex, a plastic explosive sometimes used in terrorist attacks. The report also stated that the package included a second bag containing a small amount of liquid and a powder-filled tube. The bag was marked with a label from a law enforcement training center in Stamford, N.Y., the report stated. Police called the manufacturer and were told that the center did manufacture the liquid, but did not make the Semtex imitation, the police report stated. Several East Coast-bound flights for United Airlines and U.S. Airways were delayed as a result of the closure, airport spokeswoman Susan Sullivan said. No flights were cancelled. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Sep 26 20:52:22 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:52:22 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Labor Problems Still Unresolved on Two Year Anniversary of US Airways Merger Message-ID: <20070926165215.P1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 26 September 2007 ; PRNewswire Labor Problems Still Unresolved on Two Year Anniversary of US Airways Merger http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-26-2007/0004670552 --- PHOENIX, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This Thursday, September 27, marks the two year anniversary of the merger between America West Airlines and US Airways, yet flight attendants see no reason to celebrate. Single contract talks between management and flight attendants have dragged on for over 19 months with simple non-economic issues unresolved. Both groups of flight attendants are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). A single working agreement between US Airways and America West flight attendant groups is necessary for the operational merger to be complete. "Flight attendants have reached their limit in the level of frustration with management over the status of contract negotiations, as well as the operational and service failures that have disrupted the travel plans of thousands of US Airways passengers over the summer," said Gary Richardson, America West, AFA-CWA President. "Since the financial merger of the two carriers was consummated, US Airways has racked up nearly a billion dollars in profit, and yet management refuses any meaningful improvements to wages or benefits for flight attendants," said Mike Flores, US Airways, AFA-CWA President. "The virtual merger and profits all continue to be the result of employee concessions and give backs and now is the time to recognize those sacrifices at the bargaining table." Flight attendants at America West have not seen raises or workplace improvements in over four years. US Airways flight attendants continue to work under a concessionary agreement put in place during the last bankruptcy, which eroded pay scales, terminated pensions and slashed benefits. Passengers have been exposed to poor operations, short staffing, delays, and merger related system failures. Yet while employee and passenger relations continue to decline, US Airways management has reaped millions in bonuses. On October 16, flight attendants from twenty AFA-CWA carriers across the nation and the world will descend on Phoenix, for informational picketing and protest activities in a mass demonstration of solidarity and support for flight attendants at US Airways. For over 60 years, the Association of Flight Attendants has been serving as the voice for flight attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill. More than 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines come together to form AFA-CWA, the world's largest flight attendant union. AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at http://www.afanet.org. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Sep 27 11:05:24 2007 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:05:24 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways clears big FAA hurdle Message-ID: <20070927070517.W1802-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 27 September 2007 ; Arizona Republic US Airways clears big FAA hurdle http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0927biz-usairways0927.html --- Operating certificates joined; labor pacts next BY Dawn Gilbertson US Airways cleared another major merger hurdle Wednesday, but the biggest challenge still remains. The Tempe-based airline received a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. The certificate serves as the airline's contract with the federal safety agency and dictates everything from aircraft maintenance to flight-dispatch procedures. advertisement In the two years since the America West-US Airways merger, it has been operating with each airline's separate certificate. That meant it had two systems and personnel for each area. The carrier has been working on combining them since the merger was completed two years ago today. Under the single certificate, US Airways is now free to have dispatchers in Pittsburgh handle old America West flights out of Phoenix, and dispatchers in Phoenix can run the former US Airways' East Coast flights, said David Seymour, the airline's vice president of operations control and planning. Mechanics from the old America West and former US Airways can also now work on each others' planes. Flight crews still cannot be mixed, however, until the airline has single labor contracts covering workers from both sides. That is the thorny issue that stands in the way of the airline truly combining the operations of America West and US Airways. The pilots appear to be the farthest away from unity. Contract negotiations resumed this week in Washington, but only the America West pilots showed up. The airline's East Coast pilots, who worked for the old US Airways, are fuming over an arbitrator's decision on merging the airline's seniority lists, arguing that it favors America West pilots. They also want to see an immediate pay increase to bring their pay up to America West levels. A group of pilots from the former US Airways is scheduled to picket in Washington, D.C., today to demand a raise. They say America West captains on average earn $20,000 more a year than US Airways captains. The company acknowledges the pay disparity and has said a single contract will close the gap. There is also a strong move afoot, led by pilots of the former US Airways, to oust the current pilots union, the Air Line Pilots Association. A new group called US Airline Pilots Association is currently collecting cards to authorize an election. Spokesman Scott Theuer said Wednesday that the group is "very, very close" to achieving the number it needs and expects to file for an election within the next 60 days. US Airways CEO Doug Parker has repeatedly said the airline can operate indefinitely under separate labor contracts.