American Airlines said on Wednesday it had seen some delays and four cancellations as a result of new 5G service and some additional impact to its regional fleets. American Airlines COO David Seymour told employees it expects the FAA will issue updated operating requirements for Airbus and regional fleets soon that will allow the airline to operate as normal at most airports. "We have seen some minor operational impact," Seymour said.<br/>
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The union for American Airlines Group Inc. flight attendants wants to temporarily reduce onboard food and beverage service to lessen the amount of time passengers go maskless during flights. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants is in talks with American about proposals that would help “maintain the highest level of flight attendant and passenger safety as possible onboard planes,” the union told members in a message Wednesday. Passengers are required by federal mandate to wear masks during flights unless they are eating or drinking. The union’s proposals include reducing main-cabin beverage service on domestic flights and those to Europe, South America and Asia, and serving entrees at the same time as salad, soup and appetizers in premium cabins when possible, according to the APFA message. Potential changes are complex due to different aircraft types and possible vendor involvement.<br/>
Qantas Airways said on Thursday it would seek to terminate its contract terms with long-haul flight attendants, in a move that would lead to large pay cuts, after union members voted against more flexible rostering. Qantas said it is the first time in its history that it has sought to terminate an employment terms agreement, or a contract between employers and unions, which is a rare and heated move in industrial relations in Australia. If successful, cabin crew pay and conditions would revert to a much lower Australian minimum industry standard while a new agreement is negotiated. The move sets the airline up for a high-profile union battle at a time when it also needs to reach agreements with short-haul crew for it to seal the business case for a major Airbus SE (AIR.PA) narrowbody aircraft order. Qantas' latest contract offer to long-haul flights attendants was rejected by 97% in a vote in December. The airline said a union counter-offer was "unworkable" as it would have raised costs by A$60m ($43.30m) over four years. "We're seeking termination because we can't effectively run our business without the rostering changes we desperately need to properly restart our international network in a post-COVID world," Qantas International CE Andrew David said. Under the current agreement, cabin crew operating on the A330 fleet cannot be used on the 787 and A380 fleets, making it more difficult for Qantas to shift aircraft types. The airline is running just 20% of its pre-COVID-19 international capacity in the current quarter with the emergence of the Omicron variant leading to tougher border restrictions in some countries.<br/>