Release #07.DAL7 Delta Air Lines Pilots Union Convenes Special Meeting
ATLANTA, GA – The governing body of the Delta Air Lines pilots union, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), met December 5 and 6 in Atlanta to discuss consolidation and union strategy. The union met with its outside legal counsel, investment banker and industry experts to analyze the opportunities and threats significant to the pilots’ future.
While consolidation speculation continues, the union is actively engaged in preparation. The Delta MEC’s position on industry consolidation has been and remains clear. Consolidation is an ever-present possibility in the airline industry and at some point may become inevitable or even desirable.
The union is not opposed to consolidation per se, and given the right set of circumstances, a merger proposal could draw support. After years of career threats including the 9/11 repercussions, concessions, bankruptcy, an attempt to reject the pilot labor contract, a hasty and ill-conceived merger attempt would be disastrous. Without the support of the Delta pilots, any attempt at consolidation involving Delta will fail.
Captain Moak summarized the meeting stating, “We are intent on avoiding the pitfalls seen played out in other airline mergers – which hurt passengers, employees and shareholders. We will participate from the beginning in any successful Delta merger or it will not happen. We are stakeholders; our concessions and contributions were integral to the survival of our company and we will continue to protect that investment. The participation and support of the 7000 Delta pilots is critical to the success–financial and otherwise–of any merger.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA represents 60,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. ALPA represents approximately 7,000 active DAL pilots. Visit the ALPA website at
http://www.alpa.org and the Delta pilots’ website at
www.deltapilots.org.
### SOURCE: Air Line Pilots Association
December 6, 2007
CONTACT: ALPA, Kelly Regus, 404-763-4925 office