Federal mediators have rejected a union's request that could have cleared the way for a year-end strike by flight attendants at American Airlines. The National Mediation Board instead directed the airline and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants to keep negotiating over a new contract. “We look forward to continued negotiations with APFA and reaching an agreement our flight attendants have earned,” American said Tuesday. Union President Julie Hedrick said in a statement that despite the setback, “we are not backing down. We will intensify our pressure on the company.” Hedrick said American “continues to drag out bargaining with contract proposals that do not address the current economic environment.” Flight attendants voted to authorize a strike and picketed outside American's headquarters, saying that they have not received raises since 2019. The two sides remain far apart in negotiations. The union seeks raises of 35% followed by two yearly increases of 6%. American is offering an immediate raise of 11% upfront followed by annual increases of 2%. The airline says its proposal to pay flight attendants during boarding would make the 11% raise more like 18%. American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, is proposing to match Delta’s decision last year to pay flight attendants during boarding. Under a federal law that covers the airline and railroad industries, there are several obstacles that make it very hard for union workers in those industries to go on strike. One of those hurdles is getting federal mediators to declare an impasse in negotiations, which starts a 30-day “cooling-off” period after which a strike is possible.<br/>
oneworld
American Airlines aims to remove carbon from the atmosphere by working with a startup that stores bricks of plant material underground. The airline announced a deal with Graphyte on Tuesday to purchase credits equivalent to 10,000 tons of permanent carbon removal with delivery scheduled for early 2025. American is Graphyte’s first commercial customer. Graphyte uses a process called carbon casting that converts byproducts from the agriculture and timber industries such as wood bark, rice hulls and plant stalks which have captured carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The plant material is dried to prevent decomposition and then converted into carbon dense bricks that are sealed with a polymer barrier. These bricks are stored in underground chambers and monitored with sensors to make sure the carbon does not escape, according to the company. American aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, but the aviation industry has few viable solutions right now to reduce its impact on the climate. American has invested in hydrogen as an alternative fuel but it won’t be commercially viable for years to come. “Hard to abate industries like aviation will need high-quality, permanent, affordable and scalable carbon credits – including removals – to achieve our emissions reduction goals,” said Jill Blickstein, American’s chief sustainability officer, in statement Tuesday. Plant byproducts from the agriculture and timber industries are typically burned or left to decompose, which returns carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This biomass material is equivalent to 3b tons of potential carbon dioxide removal annually, according to Graphyte. Graphyte says carbon casting is a cheap, scalable alternative to expensive and technologically intensive methods of carbon capture and removal. The company is backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investment firm founded by Bill Gates that funds clean energy technologies.<br/>
An HSBC report has warned that the resumption of direct flights between Mainland China and the USA could impact Cathay Pacific’s long-haul traffic, even as the Hong Kong-based carrier rebounds to a strong recovery this year. Cathay has “benefitted “ from Mainland Chinese travellers using Hong Kong as a gateway to the USA, says the 24 November report, in the months after China reopened its borders. USA-China flights have been slower to recover after Beijing dropped most of its ‘zero-Covid’ restrictions, largely due to geopolitical tensions between the two nations. However, in recent weeks, Chinese and US carriers have announced the resumption of several direct flights. Hainan Airlines, for instance, resumed flights between Beijing and Boston on 26 November, following compatriot Air China’s reinstatement of flights between Beijing and Washington Dulles days earlier. Even with the increased competition, the HSBC report expects Cathay’s passenger yields to “hold up pretty well” through the year-end, given strong passenger demand. The Oneworld carrier expects to report its first full-year profit in three years, amid a continued recovery in passenger travel demand, as well as better-than-expected cargo demand. Cathay forecasts the number of flights to be at around 70% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, with non-transit passengers - passengers travelling to and from Hong Kong - expected to be at 95% pre-pandemic levels. On cargo, the report says Cathay will benefit from a “thriving” Chinese cross-border e-commerce sector. The airline had attributed improvements in its Q3 cargo performance to strong e-commerce demand from China, and expects cargo load factors to improve through December. <br/>