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The labor union that represents American Airlines’ pilots said Tuesday that it is making plans to picket at the carrier’s major hubs this fall to protest overscheduling, fatigue and a lack of hotels for crews over the summer. American and Southwest Airlines’ flight attendants’ unions have complained about similar issues. The pilots’ union’s plans are the latest sign of rising tension between some labor groups and airlines’ management, which have scrambled to keep up with travel demand during the peak vacation months, to capture revenue after the pandemic sparked a prolonged slump for the industry. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, which represents Southwest’s roughly 9,000 pilots, last month said it is considering picketing at US airports during end-of-year holidays over similar issues. Those plans are still under considering, the union’s president Casey Murray said Tuesday. The Allied Pilots Association, the union that represents American’s 15,000 pilots, is in the middle of contract negotiations with the airline, as is the carrier’s flight attendant union.<br/>

British Airways introduced a mechanism allowing customers to buy so-called sustainable aviation fuel to reduce their carbon footprints. The carrier said Tuesday it will also source enough SAF from BP Plc to power all flights between London and Scotland’s two busiest airports during the COP26 climate summit to be held in Glasgow. Payments for SAF will be offered to passengers alongside an existing option to purchase carbon offsets entailing investment in projects such as reforestation. A McKinsey report last year urged airlines to explore allowing corporate clients to buy SAF as a means of decarbonizing their travel footprint. Sustainable fuel has emerged as a key element in helping carriers cut CO2 emissions in the decade or more before even the smallest airliners are capable of switching to electric or hydrogen power. Still, its use is being held back by low availability and higher costs, as well as requirements to blend it with traditional kerosene, limiting it to less than 1% of current jet-fuel consumption.<br/>

A Las Vegas man who berated a flight crew and fellow passengers on a plane Monday has been cited for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. He growled like a dog while taking his mask on and off his face, gave the middle finger and swore at flight attendants, later yelling “God bless America” and screaming “Joe Biden!” according to video taken by fellow passenger Dennis Busch. It happened on a flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Busch also wrote on Facebook that the man verbally targeted an Asian woman, saying she and her companion “didn’t belong here.” The 61-year-old man was arrested at the gate where he was checked out at a hospital and cited, authorities said. No attorney was immediately listed in court records. American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement. The company also thanked the crew for their professionalism and customers for their understanding.<br/>

British Airways’ CEO said on Tuesday that negotiations to set up a new low-cost subsidiary at London’s second biggest airport Gatwick were “advanced”. “We want to set up a subsidiary which has got a competitive cost platform,” BA CEO Sean Doyle said. “We’re in, you know, advanced negotiations to try and enable that.” The airline, owned by Anglo-Spanish group IAG, first announced plans for the new business focused on short-haul flying on Friday, saying that it would be branded British Airways and would offer the same standard of service. BA has been evaluating its position at Gatwick after stopping flights there during the pandemic and focusing on operations at its main hub Heathrow, Britain and London’s busiest airport. If negotiations with unions to set up the new unit fail, then Doyle said BA would not be able to compete at Gatwick and could look to sell its slots there.<br/>

British Airways has warned it could sell its landing slots for short-haul flights from Gatwick unless unions agree to a new lower-cost subsidiary at the UK’s second-biggest airport. Sean Doyle, BA’s CE, said the airline was in “advanced negotiations” over the creation of the new unit, which was needed to create a “competitive cost platform” once the industry emerges from the pandemic. While the unit would offer BA’s normal branding and service, the airline wants to significantly cut costs at the airport by mirroring the more agile business practices of rivals such as easyJet. This includes lower staffing costs and more flexible contracts, which would allow BA to step up its operations during the peak summer months, and then wind them down without burning money during the winter. Balpa, the pilot’s union, is backing the proposals and this week began a ballot of its members, while BA is still in discussions with Unite. Pilots would be paid about GBP100,000 a year, roughly in line with easyJet’s salaries but below those with BA at Heathrow, according to one person briefed on the discussions. If unions accept the proposals, then BA would base up to 17 A320 aircraft from Gatwick for the summer 2022 season. If talks fail, Doyle said BA “would consider alternatives for the slot portfolio”.<br/>

British Airways has demanded changes to the covid testing and quarantine system to help the airline industry recover from the impact of the pandemic. CE Sean Doyle said the UK’s traffic light system for international travel is “not fit for purpose and must be simplified”. The requirements vary depending on whether someone is arriving from a green, amber or red location, and whether or not they are fully vaccinated. The lists are updated every three weeks, with the next changes due next week. A wider overhaul of the rules is scheduled to take place by October 1. Doyle said Government policy is “the biggest single enabler” of airlines recovering from the virus crisis and more help is needed to kick start a recovery of the airline industry. He added: “We had the traffic light system over the summer. There was some progress made, but I think it’s not fit for purpose. It needs to be simplified and adapted in the same way that we see in Europe and in the US."<br/>

Qantas has filed an application for leave to appeal in its ongoing court battle with the TWU over the dismissal of more than 2,000 ground handlers whose roles were outsourced. The union said the airline’s move was simply a delaying tactic and it would fight on. In July, the Federal Court ruled Qantas had violated the Fair Work Act in making the redundancies and largely found in favour of the TWU, which claimed the decision to outsource employees was done in part to prevent them from being able to negotiate a new enterprise agreement and take industrial action. Qantas has consistently denied it has done anything unlawful. The airline has highlighted that it was “actively recruiting” into its ground handling business and “investing in new equipment” before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, signalling it had no intention to outsource these workers prior. The TWU said Qantas’ appeal is merely a tactic to “delay remedy hearings for reinstatement and compensation of the unlawfully sacked workers”. The union has said it will fight the appeal.<br/>