Amerijet International

An Amerijet B-767 parked at Miami International Airport. Photo: F/O Daniel Humphrey (Amerijet)

Amerijet International Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC) spent much of 2022 in contract negotiations. By the end of the year, the pilots’ Negotiating Committee had made significant progress and remained hopeful an agreement would soon be achieved.

“I know the pilots are anxiously awaiting the outcome of each session and eager to see a contract that reflects our hard work and dedication and is on par with contracts of other pilot groups in our sector of the industry,” said Capt. Tim Millar, who was elected the pilot group’s captain representative and MEC chair in September, along with Capt. Roy Thompson who was voted in as secretary-treasurer. The two pilots serve alongside Capt. Noor Yoosufani who’s been the MEC vice chair since 2021.

“We remain focused on maintaining a regular meeting schedule with management to work toward achieving an industry-standard contract. We’ve made substantial progress and have reached agreements on most of the sections of our contract, using interest-based bargaining,” Millar remarked. “This type of negotiating has allowed both the pilots and senior managers to solve issues raised at the bargaining table by working to satisfy both parties’ interests—as opposed to traditional position-based bargaining with each side placing their proposals on the table in writing and the other side responding with counterproposals. In my 11 years at Amerijet, I’ve never seen the solidarity that we have today among our pilot group. We remain steadfast in our resolve to reach an agreement that benefits the pilot group while allowing the airline to continue to grow.”

Last year also saw Amerijet expand its fleet to 20 freighters and increase service between North America, Europe, and Asia. In October, management opened a temporary domicile in Incheon, South Korea, to points within mainland China as part of a partnership exclusively for Danish logistics and shipping giant Maersk. As a result, the MEC signed a memorandum of understanding that allowed the pilots to secure travel visas for China and provides financial incentives for pilots who bid the lines. This milestone for Amerijet provides entry into the massive Asian trade market.

While attrition remained steady, the carrier hired an average of 20 pilots per new-hire class in 2022, more than any other year in the airline’s history. Management expects continued growth and anticipates hiring additional pilots in 2023.

“The pilot group has been busier than ever both on the line and within the MEC,” said Millar. “As the airline continues its growth into new markets around the globe, we continue to expand our committee structure in order to best represent our pilot group. And in 2023, the MEC will continue its focus on completing Section 6 negotiations, which are slated to resume in February.”

Amerijet, whose customers include international shipping, courier, and transportation company DHL; the U.S. Department of Defense; the U.S. Postal Service; Amazon; and shipping company Maersk, has a network that includes 476 destinations across the globe.