ARC NEWS
​EgyptAir seeks bids for A320
May 16, 2023
EgyptAir is looking to sell one of its Airbus A320s. The North African carrier is inviting bids on a 2003-vintage narrowbody (MSN 2094) equipped with International Aero Engines V2500s, aircraft asset management director Haitham Saleh states in a LinkedIn post. The jet is being sold in an "as is, where is" condition.


Southwest pilots approve strike authorisation
May 15, 2023
Southwest Airlines pilots seeking a new contract with the US major have voted in favour of authorising a strike. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), which represents the Dallas-based carrier's 10,000 pilots, says its strike authorisation vote closed after a week and half with 98% participation and 99% of pilots voting in favour of a strike authorisation. Voting commenced on 1 May and was intended to run through the end of that month. SWAPA president Casey Murray on 18 January called for a strike authorisation vote among union members, stating that a "lack of discussion or commitment" from the airline's leadership team to "rectify" operational issues for passengers and pilots "drove us to make the decision to carry forward on this path afforded to us by the [US] Railway Labor Act". On 11 May, Murray stated: "The lack of leadership and the unwillingness to address the failures of our organisation have led us to this point. Our pilots are tired of apologising to our passengers on behalf of a company that refuses to place its priorities on its internal and external customers." He adds that the union's next step is to petition the US National Mediation Board to release it to "self-help imminently", after which it will follow the process set forth by the Railway Labor Act and continue toward a strike. "We want our customers to be prepared for the path ahead and make arrangements on other carriers so that their plans through the summer and fall are not disrupted." Southwest notes in response to the results of the strike authorisation vote that its pilots are not on strike, and that the vote "has no impact" on its scheduled operations. "In fact, a strike can occur only after multiple steps in the Railway Labor Act collective bargaining process are exhausted, including the National Mediation Board releasing both parties from mediation to end talks," the carrier says. Adam Carlisle, vice-president labour relations for Southwest, states: "This anticipated authorisation vote result does not change our commitment to the negotiation process, and we look forward to continuing discussions with SWAPA at the negotiating table." Before a strike by SWAPA members can commence, the National Mediation Board must first offer the parties an opportunity to arbitrate the contract dispute. If either side declines the arbitration, both parties enter a 30-day cooling-off period, after which self-help – such as a labour strike or a lockout enacted by management – could be authorised only if a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) is not established. Under the terms of the Railway Labor Act, if a dispute substantially threatens essential transportation in any section of the USA, the National Mediation Board notifies the US president, who may establish a PEB, which investigates the dispute during a 30-day period and advises the president and issues recommendations. The two parties subsequently can accept the PEB's recommendations, negotiate their own agreement or, after 30 days from the issuance of the PEB to the president, exercise self-help, unless the US Congress takes action. Southwest is the third US major to have recently been faced with strike authorisation votes by pilots' unions. On 1 May, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines' 15,000 pilots, disclosed that its membership voted "overwhelmingly" to approve a strike authorisation for the Fort Worth-based carrier's pilots. In October 2022, Delta Air Lines' pilots voted to authorise its union – the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) – to call a strike if contract negotiations with the carrier break down and legal conditions for a strike were met. On 1 March 2023, Delta's pilots ratified a four-year contract, which includes more than $7 billion in cumulative pay increases over four years.


KLM grows E-Jet wet-lease deal with German Airways
May 15, 2023
German Airways has disclosed a wet-lease agreement with KLM Cityhopper under which it will operate five Embraer 190s for the Dutch carrier during the summer season. The Cologne-based charter and wet-lease specialist says it started operating an E190 from Dusseldorf for KLM Cityhopper at the end of February and another one from Stuttgart at the end of March, noting a previous "intensive co-operation" between the two carriers during summer 2022. A third aircraft will be deployed from Swiss city Basel from mid-June, while the remaining two will be stationed in Aalborg in Denmark and Frankfurt in July. German Airways says the two carriers intend to continue their collaboration beyond the winter 2023/24 season. On 11 May, KLM Cityhopper disclosed its plan to would wet-lease aircraft, extend leases of in-service E-Jets and adjust its schedule as a result of engine issues with the carrier's E195-E2s.


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