AA to pilots: Expedite, speed it up..... Curt Lewis

Too fast? They're furious: Pilots' union says American Airlines compromises safety


American Airlines pilots talked after the carrier's merger with US Airways was announced in February 2013. (File Photo/Tom Fox)

The president of American Airlines' pilots union said he's alarmed by a new management initiative to speed up some flight plans, stating in a Thursday letter to union members that it could "compromise the margin of safety."

"This erosion of the safety margin cannot be tolerated. Pilot pushing leads to 'rush to comply' behavior," Capt. Dan Carey, who was elected president of the Allied Pilots Association earlier this month, wrote in the letter. "American Airlines' operations are clearly over-scheduled, and management is now resorting to improvisation. Don't let management's schedule-planning mistakes become your next crisis."

Carey is referring specifically to an initiative laid out in a July 12 memo from American's chief operating officer Robert Isom. The memo outlines "speed up flight plans" as a way to reduce delays in certain circumstances.

Carey said the union's pilots are reporting that some flight plans are being manipulated to keep crews under Federal Aviation Administration caps that restrict time spent on duty, a practice Carey referred to as "pilot pushing."

This includes instructing pilots to increase air speeds, including in some cases where there is forecasted turbulence, using different flight routing and decreasing taxi times by using paths and speeds that deviate from "what would normally be considered rational," Carey said.

"These last-minute manipulations are used to make a flight appear legal when in reality it's not or is, at best, on the ragged edge," Carey said.

"Do not allow anyone to push you into compromising your margin of safety," he told members, describing the practice as an "intrusion on our professional authority."

American Airlines said any attempts to speed up flight plans are done within federal limits and with the consent of the plane's captain.

"Safety and regulatory compliance are always the first and foremost consideration in every decision and in every facet of our company," spokesman Matt Miller said.

Although American and its pilots union are not in active contract negotiations, the union has been outspoken in its criticism of the Fort Worth-based airline's management practices in recent months.

In March, union leaders warned of a return of "toxic " labor relations at American and said the airline was violating contract terms and crew scheduling regulations, although it did not provide specifics at that time.