Transportation
American Air Pilots Cite ‘Significant’ Jump in Safety Issues
- Union cites tools left in plane wheel wells, more collisions
- Pilot leaders say carrier’s response is ‘encouraging’
An American Airlines passenger aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey.
Photographer: Bing Guan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The union for American Airlines Group Inc. pilots warned members to be vigilant amid a “significant spike” in safety- and maintenance-related problems at the carrier.
The Allied Pilots Association cited “problematic trends” in a memo sent April 13, including instances of tools like a hammer being left in airplane wheel wells and an increasing number of collisions between aircraft while they’re being towed. The union, which represents about 15,000 pilots, implored its members to avoid rushing while doing their jobs and to not be pressured into doing anything unsafe.