Capt. Scott McCormick (PSA), ALPA’s Fee-for-Departure Committee chair, discusses career progression, career protection, and pay and benefits.

Roughly three dozen pilots from ALPA’s fee-for-departure (FFD) pilot groups and their mainline partners attended the FFD group meeting on February 22 in ALPA’s McLean, Va., offices to share information, discuss successes, and explore the future of this segment of the airline industry. The meeting was the latest in an ongoing series of similar meetings hosted by the Association’s FFD Committee.

“When I was elected, I committed to ensuring that ALPA works hard for all our members, and I meant it,” Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA’s president, told attendees. “And that means committing to more resources for our FFD pilot groups and supporting the FFD Committee and meetings like this one.”

Capt. Scott McCormick (PSA), chair of the FFD Committee, provided an open atmosphere for discussion as attendees explored issues past, present, and future. He started by reiterating the three key pillars of success the committee strives for: career progression, career protection, and pay and benefits.

McCormick highlighted the improvements ALPA has fought for and achieved within these areas, but also cautioned that more challenges are on the horizon. “The percentage of our members who opt to remain FFD pilots is dramatically shrinking,” he pointed out. “We’re seeing faster career progression, increased pay, and new pathways. So I have to ask the question: With all that we’ve accomplished, why do we feel more threatened than ever before?”

McCormick pointed to carriers adding visa program pilots to supplement new-hire classes, airline management lobbying against the current first officer qualification rules, and the ongoing flow through to major, ultra-low-cost, and all-cargo carriers.

“Today,” he said, “we’re bringing together a cross section of pilots from our union, as well as subject-matter experts from ALPA staff, to help us consider solutions we can implement moving forward.” Three former chairs of the FFD committee, F/Os Paul Ryder, Lindsay Van Beusekom, and Brad Ladimer, all now with United Airlines after starting in the FFD sector, took part in the discussion.

Attendees provided a status report on their pilot group and shared how they faced similar issues and where they found success. They discussed topics such as attrition, flow, hiring, and retention bonuses.

Many attendees pointed to this sharing of information as the most valuable aspect of the meeting, stating that it provided industry insight that they might not otherwise obtain outside of ALPA, along with the ability to engage with their counterparts at other airlines on ways to address specific issues and concerns.

Also in attendance were Capt. Todd Insler (United), then Master Executive Council (MEC) chair of his pilot group, and Capt. Jason Ambrosi (Delta), MEC chair of his pilot group, as mainlines are intertwined with their FFD carriers. “Your being here throughout the day, listening and sharing, is really going to be a big help to all of us at the FFD level,” McCormick said.

Capt. Wes Reed (FedEx Express), chair of ALPA’s Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee, oversaw a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats strategic planning exercise with input from all. “Our goal,” he said, “is to walk away from this session with a better understanding of your needs and concerns as ALPA union leaders. This will help the union better allocate resources to support the FFD Committee’s work and how we can better support your respective pilot groups.”

The event closed with a roundtable led by DePete, who highlighted ALPA’s actions, accomplishments, and concerns as they relate to FFD pilot group interests, and a Q&A session.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we’re seeing a dynamic, organic change,” DePete said, “and by working together, we can help ensure that the coming change is beneficial to us all. We have to make things better—and we have the leverage and tools to do so.”

DePete reiterated that the FFD pilot group leaders should reach out to the FFD Committee if they needed assistance, as ALPA has a number of tools available to provide support.

“The state of our union is stronger than ever before,” he concluded, “but it takes all of us, not just some of us. I’m extremely pleased with the work all of you and this committee have done together to contribute to that.”