The union for American Airlines pilots sued the carrier in federal court Thursday over a shortage of instructors that is forcing the carrier to use rank-and-file pilots to fill in during training.
In announcing the suit in U.S. District Court in North Texas, the Allied Pilots Association said a recent move by American Airlines to use pilots as partners during training simulations “degrades the training experience and risks long-term damage to the airline’s safety culture.”
“Having failed to plan properly for the recovery in air travel demand, American Airlines management now finds itself having to deal with the consequences of being the only major airline to have furloughed pilots during the pandemic,” said Allied Pilots Association President Eric Ferguson in a statement.
Ferguson said American’s decision to pause pilot training during the pandemic has caught up with the Fort Worth-based carrier.
“Management was clearly ill-prepared for the rebound in airline traffic and has been selling tickets for flights the airline may be unable to operate due to a shortage of properly qualified pilots, despite management’s recent assurances to the contrary,” he said.
An American Airlines spokeswoman said the company is “disappointed by the complaint.”
“This program is designed to give line pilots the opportunity to support the flight training simulator program, which is good for our pilots and provides even more training capacity to support continued growth,” American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said. “The pilots volunteering are highly qualified and experienced, and are responsible for the safety of our customers and fellow crew members every day.”
American and other airlines are scrambling to hire enough pilots to get ready for their biggest and most aggressive flying schedule since 2019. Earlier this week, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association blasted that carrier for causing “pilot fatigue” with poor scheduling and operations.