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American Airlines Group was sued by its pilots union to block a plan that would seek volunteers to help with flight-simulator training amid record hiring. The plan would violate the Railway Labor Act, which prohibits unilateral changes to contracts between airlines and their unions, according to the suit, filed Thursday by the Allied Pilots Association in a federal court in Texas. The case comes a day after the union told members not to sign up to assist with simulator training. The work typically is the responsibility of so-called check pilots, not those who fly regularly for the carrier. “The pilots volunteering are highly qualified and experienced, and are responsible for the safety of our customers and fellow crew members every day,” the airline said in response to the lawsuit. American is preparing for a rebound of travel demand into 2023 and says it’s ahead of a plan to add 2,200 pilots this year, meaning as many as 70 new ones need to be trained each week. US airlines are hiring thousands of cockpit crew this year to adjust for early retirements when the Covid-19 pandemic decimated travel demand.<br/>

British Airways is offering new cabin crew a GBP1,000 "golden hello" as the airline battles to recruit workers. The company says it will pay new employees £500 after three months and the rest after six months - but only if they can start before July. Airlines and airports are struggling to find new staff after making steep cuts at the height of the pandemic. BA and others have been forced to cancel flights due to resurging demand ahead of Easter and not enough staff. One barrier to recruitment is that airline workers have to pass stringent security checks which can take several weeks or months to process. BA says applicants must have an airside ID for either Heathrow or London Stansted Airport as well as having completed cabin crew safety training, suggesting the company will look to rival airlines for staff. It also says that cabin crew who are not able to commence training prior to July this year if, for example, they have to work a long notice period, "may not be eligible for the welcome bonus".<br/>

British Airways has apologised after it refused to allow a Ukrainian family, including an eight-year-old girl, to board a flight to the UK despite them having all the correct travel documents. The family-of-three had fled their home in Kharkiv, which has endured some of the most intense Russian bombing, after waiting more than two weeks to be granted UK visas. They travelled 800 miles to Warsaw airport in Poland, where they were due to fly to London under the UK government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. Vira Rybalchenko, 68, lost her passport in the evacuation but was assured by the British embassy that she would be allowed to travel because she had a paper copy of the document as well as a newly issued UK visa and a Ukrainian identity card. The family passed through airport security without a problem but minutes before they were due to board their flight Rybalchenko was wrongly told by BA staff that she could not leave without her original passport. BA admitted this was a mistake and issued an apology to the family after being contacted by the Guardian. It said: “We’re very sorry for the genuine error made by our team when trying to follow Home Office guidance and we’ve put measures in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We’re making contact with the family to apologise and will be providing a full refund of their tickets.”<br/>

Qatar Airways has announced it is extending its Australian schedule by launching a new route from Adelaide to Auckland, New Zealand. The news coincides with New Zealand’s borders finally lifting to Australians for the first time on Tuesday since the trans-Tasman bubble was paused last July. According to Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox, this service has received “plenty of interest” due to strong outbound bookings. Made effective on 12 April, the Boeing 777-300ER will fly from Doha, Qatar to Adelaide and then to Auckland, scheduled to operate three times a week. This additional route will see Qatar Airways operate 34 weekly flights to Australia, according to the South Australian Tourism Commission.<br/>

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka's loss-making national carrier announced plans on Thursday (April 14) to lease up to 21 aircraft, just two days after the government announced a default on its US$51b foreign debt. The island nation is in the grip of its most painful economic downturn since independence in 1948, with severe shortages of essential goods and regular blackouts causing widespread misery. Huge protests have called for the resignation of the government, which has begged Sri Lankans abroad to send cash home to help pay for essential imports. Despite the ongoing crisis, state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines has unveiled plans to expand its fleet from 24 to 35 in the next three years and replace some of its ageing jets. "Sri Lankan Airlines has issued four requests for proposal to lease up to 21 aircraft to support its long-term business strategy," it said in a brief statement. The announcement came after the government suspended repayment of all its foreign borrowings, ahead of negotiations for a debt restructure with the International Monetary Fund next week.<br/>