Industrial action in Latin America

A number of flights of South American LAN Airlines were affected when the airline’s unions began a series of actions on March 25 in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Miami. The company has so far not responded to the union’s demands to improve working conditions. LAN Airlines workers are responsible for passenger safety, aircraft maintenance, and customer connections in airports.

A leaflet to be distributed to passengers at various airports in the aforementioned regions, reads: “National and international passengers could be subject to extensive delays and cancellations. Chile, Colombia and Ecuador are important hubs for the airline”.

The dispute has gained support from many of the large transport unions in the US, including Teamsters Local 769 of Miami and the community organization, South Florida Voices for Working Families. The latter will be joining others in handing out information at the 2015 Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, of which LAN Airlines is an official sponsor. Leaflets will alert the public about the conditions of the LAN Airlines workers and the potential delays that could affect those attending the tennis tournament.

According to Luis Chavez, President of the LAN Express union in Chile, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador are important connecting hubs to flights throughout Latin America. “These difficulties are preventable and predictable. The problems are cascading due to LAN Airlines refusal to provide fair conditions for their workers.”

United issues job cuts at Will Rogers airport

United Airlines is cutting 79 union jobs at Will Rogers World airport as part of a companywide effort to cut costs through outsourcing. Three management and two administrative staff positions in Oklahoma City are also part of the jobs cuts.

The cuts affect United airport operations staff at Will Rogers, specifically 34 customer service workers and 40 ramp workers, according to a layoff notice the company sent to the Oklahoma Commerce Department.

United spokesman, Luke Punzenberger, said: “These were difficult decisions, but we need to ensure our costs are competitive.” He went on to say that in some instances, affected employees – who are represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – will have an option to transfer to jobs at other airports.

These cuts come as part of a cost-cutting plan the carrier revealed earlier this year, to outsource 2,000 jobs at 28 airports. The job cuts will not affect any of United’s Oklahoma City routes, said Will Rogers spokeswoman Karen Carney. She went on to comment: “It’s kind of an overall strategy by carriers to switch over to contract employees and Oklahoma City was not alone.”

Oklahoma City United employees are expected to lose their jobs over a two-week period beginning May 16.

ICAO to develop international drone standards?

The technology for small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for domestic business use is evolving faster than standards for larger drones, but how to regulate them has been a point of contention. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is devising new safety standards for 2018 on large UAS that cross borders, and is considering helping countries draw up domestic rules for integrating drones into their airspace. It has been estimated by industry analyst Teal Group that the UAS industry will become a US$91bn market in ten years.

On March 23, aerospace manufacturers urged all 191 ICAO member countries to collaborate with the organization to create common global safety standards for drone use, such as licensing and pilot qualifications.

Marion Blakey, the chair of the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries, said of the matter: “We shouldn’t drag our feet on developing a global regulatory system.”

Following the FAA’s delayed response to Amazon and the company’s need to test new drones, FAA deputy administrator Michael Whitaker said the agency also favored international standards.

Amazon received approval from the FAA to test-fly its delivery drones in the US – with many restrictions – but by the time the company got the approval for the drone it was testing, the device was already obsolete. Amazon has since developed newer models, which it is testing in the UK and other countries, and has said that the FAA is too restrictive on their drone-related policies, and would prefer to have a commercial drone exemption, as has already been granted to roughly 50 operators in the US.