Mae Jemison made history, blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the space shuttle Endeavor to become the first African American woman to go to space. Jemison broke ground as a role model for the next generation of Black women seeking careers in aviation and science.  

Robert “Bob” Ashby was a trailblazer, overcoming racism and adversity to serve as a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen and become the only Tuskegee Airman to fly as an airline pilot. Through his career in both the military and as an airline pilot, Ashby, a retired Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l member, empowered the next generation of Black aviators to follow in his footsteps.

The airline industry is built on the legacies of those who were willing to make sacrifices just for an opportunity. When Marlon Green launched his six-year court battle to be able to fly for Continental Airlines, he opened the door for every Black airline pilot.

Those who dream of becoming a pilot don’t see the sky as the limit; they see it as a starting-off point. Bessie Coleman had every excuse to give up on her dream of becoming a pilot. In a time when American flight schools admitted neither women, nor African Americans, Coleman relentlessly pursued her passion for flight. 

 

Finally putting the pandemic in the rearview, 2022 was a year of rapid growth for our union as pilot hiring numbers took off and operations generally returned to normalcy. When outside threats to air safety such as telecommunications signals in the 5G C-Band and attempts to raise the retirement age arose, we responded with new resources for members and Calls to Action. And by the end of the year, we added roughly 5,000 new members to our ranks.