AIR PACIFIC REACHES AGREEMENT WITH ITS PILOTS ON NEW 5-YEAR CONTRACT

Air Pacific today announced that it had reached a new 5-year agreement with its pilots’ union, effective December 1st.

Air Pacific’s Managing Director and CEO David Pflieger expressed the national airline’s appreciation and gratitude for an agreement that was the result of over 70 meetings and eight months of negotiations. “I would like to thank our Pilots’ Association and our own negotiators for their commitment in reaching a consensual agreement that we believe is fair to our pilots and to the Company,” he said.

“It was always our preference to have a mutually acceptable agreement, and I am pleased that we were able to achieve this goal. We have been meeting with our pilots since February in an effort to reach a long-term agreement that support our pilots and their profession and positions Air Pacific for success and growth in the years ahead,” said the Company’s CEO.

Air Pacific embarked on a comprehensive restructuring and transformation plan in May of last year. The Company’s turnaround plan is focused on cutting costs, improving revenue, improving airline performance and customer service, revamping flight schedules and modernizing its fleet. “As part of that comprehensive plan to return the airline to sustained profitability, management, all of our staff, and our key business partners were all asked to participate,” said Mr. Pflieger.

“Like last week’s agreement with our Flight Attendants, we believe this new union contract is comprehensive, balanced, and fair,” said the Company’s CEO. “The new pilots’ agreement provides several productivity enhancements for the Company, and it recognizes the efforts of our Pilots’ Association in this regard. In addition, it protects the base pay of all pilots, and it actually increases every pilot’s base pay over the term of the contract. It also allows our pilots to participate in the Company’s profit-sharing plan approved in principle by its Board, improves personal accident coverage, and for the first time, provides pilots with disability pay coverage for up to one year in cases of hospitalization or serious illnesses.”

“With negotiations complete, new and fair collective agreements in place with our unions, and new individual contracts in place with the remainder of our staff, we now intend to focus our collective energies on flying our newly added B737-800, preparing to receive our new Airbus A330-200s in just eighteen months, and finishing a myriad of other projects and initiatives that are designed to return our airline to sustainable profitability and ensure we become the preferred airline of the South Pacific,” Mr. Pflieger said. “With this last agreement complete, we can now move forward as a team of professionals who can all benefit from our collective efforts and future success.”

Source: Air Pacific