Global Pandemic Hits Home for Two ALPA Pilot Groups
Pilot Commentary
By Capt. Nathan Caron (Trans States), MEC Chair, and Capt. Thomas Vanden Berg (Compass), MEC Chair
As airline pilots, we live with daily reminders of the turbulent history of our chosen profession. Since our union was founded in 1931, the pilots of ALPA have weathered many storms, from the early days of pilot pushing through war time and deregulation. From the birth of the jet age to the tragic events of 9/11 to the ability to travel seamlessly around the world daily, the airline industry has surprisingly followed a somewhat predictable cycle: recovery, expansion, descent, and contraction.
Over the years, the airline industry has faced its share of challenges and turmoil. Yet through it all, because of the significant sacrifices made by pilots and many other industry stakeholders, our industry has survived.
Unfortunately, we find ourselves amid another great challenge. The global pandemic caused by the unprecedented spread of COVID-19 has decimated airline operations in nearly every country. This public-health emergency has had a swift and tremendous impact on our nation and our industry. Due to the sharp decline in demand and instituted travel bans, almost all airlines have drastically cut capacity. The entire global commercial aviation industry has been affected. In the United States, the COVID-19 crisis has had a devastating effect on Trans States and Compass Airlines, both of which announced they’d be shutting down.
In late February, the nearly 500 pilots at Trans States were shocked when management announced that the airline would be winding down operations by the end of 2020 as its fleet of Embraer 145 regional jets would be transferred to ExpressJet. Immediately, the Trans States Master Executive Council (MEC) began working with our ExpressJet colleagues on outlining transfer opportunities for Trans States pilots.
However, as the global pandemic tightened its grip on aviation, management announced that our wind down would be accelerated and that our last day of operations would be April 1, 2020.
Meanwhile, for the 450 pilots at Compass Airlines, due to the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, the transitional nature of the airline’s business, the inability to secure a deal for new flying, and the only remaining business partner not renewing its capacity service agreement with Compass, management was left with no other path forward but to cease operations as of April 7, 2020.
This is not something that a pilot typically prepares for. This isn’t about bad management or bad financial planning. This was devasting news for our pilots. We’re all struggling with what this means for our families and our careers.
In these difficult times, as we work toward ensuring that our pilot groups have access to the resources they need to move forward, there is comfort in knowing that our pilots can hold their heads high. We took pride in safely flying our passengers to their destinations day in and day out while conducting ourselves with the utmost professionalism. And while our airlines have ceased operations, our union still endures. Together, we’re working to find a way that Trans States and Compass pilots can keep flying, hopefully for a carrier with ALPA-represented pilots.
Furloughs are an unfortunate fact of life in the airline industry, and over the years ALPA has provided assistance both at the national and MEC level. From advice on staying financially solvent during temporary layoffs to finding new jobs during long-term periods of unemployment, the Furloughed Pilots Support Program (FPSP) provides ALPA furloughees with a variety of options, background information, available resources, and valuable contacts to enable them to make sound decisions as they weather these critical periods in their careers. The ultimate goal is to get pilots back onto flight decks as quickly as possible.
Through the FPSP, our pilots will continue to receive assistance from ALPA, including admission to job fairs, employment opportunities, and unemployment benefit information. The FPSP also has a dedicated website that contains resources for everything from stress management to finances. The FPSP has recently produced a third support checklist that helps pilots in an industry downturn as well as those experiencing furloughs or shutdowns.
We want the nearly 1,000 Trans States and Compass pilots to know that their national union is here to support them through these challenging times. From the moment we learned about the closures of our airlines, we’ve received the needed support to move forward. ALPA will continue to spare no effort to protect our employment rights and advance our aviation careers.
Our colleagues and ALPA professional staff in pilot assistance, safety, security, jumpseat, retirement and insurance, furlough support, government affairs, and communications are engaging around the clock on our behalf to keep us informed and updated on the work they’re doing.
We’ll continue to communicate in every way possible with our affected pilots to ensure that they receive the most up-to-date information regarding the resources and information needed to make sound decisions as we prepare for and navigate the turbulence ahead.
As pilot leaders, we’re committed to helping our flying partners to the end. If there’s one piece of advice to pass along to all pilots affected, it would be to remember that our current situation isn’t a reflection on our talent, skill, or professionalism. While our situation is a bit different from the typical “furlough,” the shutdown of our carriers as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on our industry may make it more difficult to parlay our experiences quickly into another piloting career.
COVID-19 is not going to last forever. It will run its course, and our industry will once again return to profitability. However, for the pilots at Trans States and Compass, our lives will look very different when this is over. But we’ll stay strong, stay professional, and work together through these difficult times.
When a Pandemic Hits Home: 10 Steps to Protect Yourself and Your Family
COVID-19 hit our industry hard and fast, with carriers making every move to stop hemorrhaging money—including flight cancellations, hiring freezes, and capacity cuts higher than those the industry weathered after 9/11. This pandemic is hitting home for ALPA, as members now face significantly reduced in flying, furloughs or layoffs, and airline shutdowns. Your union is here to support you; start with these 10 preemptive steps to help yourself and your family through the crisis
