The union representing Southwest Airlines' flight attendants voted to give leaders the ability to call a strike, a step toward a possible walkout if talks falter in federal mediation. The authorization was approved by more than 98% of voting members of the Transport Workers Union of America Local 556, which represents about 21,000 Southwest flight attendants. Until a new contract is ratified, members are working under pay scales and rules that were part of a 2016 agreement. While the vote doesn’t mean the union will strike immediately, it clears the way for a walkout if one is allowed by the National Mediation Board following a multiphase process outlined in the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline-union relations. Other unions have taken similar action to authorize strikes, including one representing Southwest’s pilots and another for American Airlines Group Inc.’s flight attendants.<br/>
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Southwest pilots approved a new contract that would boost pay 50% over five years, wrapping up a multiyear round of negotiations and protests across the industry that resulted in record-setting agreements at the four largest US carriers. The contract was approved by almost 83% of the 99% of members who voted, according to the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. “This agreement justly rewards our pilots and supports our operational needs,” Adam Carlisle, Southwest’s vice president for labor relations, said. With the vote, Southwest becomes the last of the top four US airlines to secure new pilot deals in less than 12 months. Aviators who had worked through the pandemic picketed outside of company offices, shareholder meetings and airports while their unions worked to secure agreements with higher pay and improved work-life balance as carriers pulled in record revenue. Southwest’s contract includes a 29.15% pay increase upon approval, followed by annual raises of 4% each on the first day of 2025, 2026 and 2027, plus a 3.25% increase on Jan. 1, 2028. The 50% boost is on a compounded basis, the union said. Pilots also secured updated work rules and flying schedules, along with better disability coverage and increases in retirement benefits. <br/>
WestJet's fleet is growing after the company announced Tuesday it would be leasing five brand new Boeing aircraft. In a news release, the company said the addition of the new planes would add to its capacity and provide the opportunity for more "affordable and diverse air travel options" for guests. "As Canada's coast-to-coast leisure champion and western home carrier, the continued expansion of our fleet in tandem with our low-cost foundation is a key accelerator of our growth strategy," said Mike Scott, executive vice-president and CFO of WestJet Group, in a release. The new acquisitions, which are being made available through leasing agreements with CDB Aviation and Avolon, are part of an orderbook of 22 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft and 62 additional planes expected to be added to WestJet's fleet before the end of 2028. "CDB Aviation values our expanding relationship with WestJet and we are pleased to be able to support the airline's fleet expansion in an environmentally friendly manner as we lease these three new fuel-efficient B737-8 aircraft direct from our orderbook," said Jie Chen, CDB Aviation's CEO.<br/>
Ryanair Holdings now expects to receive 50 new Boeing aircraft by the end of June rather than the 57 it originally expected by April, CE Michael O’Leary said on Tuesday. The delivery delays, which began well before the current safety alert on some Boeing planes, could cost Europe’s largest budget airline some 2 or 3m passengers this year due to reduced capacity, O’Leary added during a news conference in Milan.<br/>
Ryanair Holdings will list its flights with online package-holiday provider Loveholidays, in a first for the Irish budget carrier, which has fought online listings in court. The agreement gives Ryanair direct access to customers and includes assurances that Loveholidays won’t mark up the price of flights, according to a statement Tuesday. While a recent court victory forced online travel agents to remove its listings from its website, the carrier has said the win has also dented sales. The deal with Loveholidays can serve as a model for future agreements, Ryanair spokesman Dara Brady said at a press event in London. He said a number of online travel agents have reached out to the airline. <br/>
A key union in aviation has backed Virgin Australia over Qantas’s budget carrier Jetstar as the two airlines battle for the rights to run extra flights on coveted routes to Bali. Australia’s International Air Services Commission (IASC) is considering applications from Virgin and Qantas for the rights to almost 2,500 extra weekly seats between Australia and Indonesia available under the countries’ bilateral air services agreement. Qantas has proposed offering an additional 2,320 weekly seats with the extra Jetstar flights, carried on a daily Cairns-Melbourne-Denpasar route from May and a thrice-weekly Adelaide-Perth-Denpasar route from August. Virgin Australia wants to fly 2,464 seats a week, on Gold Coast-Perth-Denpasar and Adelaide-Perth-Denpasar routes. In a submission to the IASC made on Monday, the Transport Workers Union argued Virgin should be chosen for the extra flight capacity because it would employ local aviation workers. The TWU national secretary, Michael Kaine, said in a letter to the IASC’s director, Jasmina Ackar, that Qantas would not do so with the Jetstar flights.<br/>