oneworld

American Airlines pilots’ union said Thursday that they agreed to a sweetened offer for a new labor contract, less than two weeks after a richer deal at rival United Airlines derailed voting at American. The new preliminary agreement includes pay matching with United, whose pilots are on track to get about 40% raises over four years, and at Delta, whose aviators approved their contract in March, as well as other improvements. American CEO Robert Isom last week increased the company’s offer by about $1b. “We appreciate the Allied Pilots Association for its collaborative work to reach an updated agreement on a four-year contract for American’s pilots,” American said. “It’s a contract we’re proud of and one our pilots deserve.” American’s pilots would start voting on the new deal in August. The deal is the latest in the transportation industry where workers are seeking, and getting, higher wages. A shortage of pilots has emboldened unions to seek bigger raises and other improvements after the pandemic stalled negotiations. UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters earlier this week struck a preliminary labor agreement to raise pay for more than 300,000 workers, a deal that averted a massive strike that could have rippled throughout the US economy. Workers will vote on that deal next month.<br/>

Qatar Airways said Thursday it earned a profit of $1.2b over the last fiscal year, boosted in part by the small Arabian Peninsula country’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar Airways, like other carriers in Gulf Arab nations, relies on the country’s location to ferry passengers between the East and West. Its earned revenue of $20.9b over the year is up from $14.4b the year before. Those figures stand in contrast to the $4.1b loss it suffered in the 2021 fiscal year amid the coronavirus pandemic and the grounding of its fleet. Qatar Airways’ profit of $1.2b is down slightly from $1.5b last fiscal year. Part of that came from a spike in operating expenses, particularly in jet fuels as energy prices rose after the grip of the pandemic loosened and air travel resumed. Qatar Airways received a $3b infusion from the government during the pandemic to keep it afloat. “As the global travel industry continued its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we consolidated our position as the airline of choice for millions of passengers across the globe,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said. The World Cup played a large role in Qatar Airways’ success as well, with FIFA saying some 3.4 million spectators were on hand inside stadiums for the tournament. Many flying in used Qatar Airways’ global network for their flights. “Our country’s long-held dream of organizing the FIFA World Cup finally became a reality and Qatar took center stage for hosting the world’s most prestigious sporting event,” Al Baker said. “After more than a decade of preparations and hard work, we brought fans from around the world.” Meanwhile, Qatar Airways in February also resolved a long-running acrimonious legal dispute over the Airbus A350, which the airline had alleged had fuselages “degrading at an accelerated rate” in the long-range aircraft.<br/>