Southwest Airlines seeks to fill 500 ramp agent positions

Southwest Airlines is looking to hire an additional 500 ramp agents, and is even offering possible financial relocation assistance for candidates hired from outside the company moving more than 100 miles for a ramp agent position in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston or Baltimore.

Julie Weber, Vice President of People, said: “We’re looking for people who desire more than just a job. More than 71% of Southwest employees define their work at Southwest as a calling. The ramp agent position can be demanding, with non-traditional hours and exposure to a wide variety of weather conditions. We are looking for hardworking, fun-loving, and caring people who love working with others and giving it their all.”

The airline has spent the last 21 years on FORTUNE’s list of World’s Most Admired Companies, ranking number seven in 2015. Additionally, Southwest was ranked as the top airline employer and one of the top 20 best employers overall on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers.

Employment with Southwest boasts an excellent benefits package, including a dollar-for-dollar match in the 401(k) plan, up to 8.3-9.3% of eligible salary, as well as annual profit sharing payments, which, in 2014, equalled five weeks of pay toward employee retirement accounts.

Amadeus acquires AirIT

Amadeus has purchased the previously Fraport-owned company AirIT; this becomes the second acquisition of a well-established airport industry business for Amadeus in the past 15 months.

With this gain, the IT business has fully established itself in the North American market, which is seen as a key region for the airport IT sector; it will also better enable Amadeus to respond to those customer needs outside of North America. AirIT’s solutions are in operation at 30 of the top 50 busiest airports in the US, which includes Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and Charlotte. Thus, AirIT will serve to complement Amadeus’ business with a strong customer base that comprises over 115 airlines and 120 airports mostly in the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

Combining its existing airport management solutions with the AirIT PROPworks portfolio, a highly configurable property and revenue management solution for airports of all sizes, Amadeus will be able to manage contracts, invoices, sales, tenants and more besides. PROPworks is already in use at four of the five busiest airports.

LEKTRO celebrates 70^th anniversary

This year electric aircraft tug manufacturer LEKTRO is celebrating not only its seventieth anniversary – an impressive milestone in itself – but also the sale of its four thousand, five hundredth tug, which took place earlier this year.

“We weren’t always a towbarless aircraft tug company, but it seemed fitting to have our kick-off celebration in the same city where our towbarless story began,” said Henry Balensifer, LEKTRO’s Communications Manager.

Company founder, Wilt Paulson, along with his friend Sy King, who owned Flightcraft in Portland, developed the first towbarless aircraft tug. King realised that aircraft could be saved from common damage if the towbar was eliminated and instead the nose landing gear was simply lifted. The pair developed the Airporter by turning the LEKTRO mink feeder chassis around so that the steering tyres were at the rear of the vehicle, under the operator, and the drive tyres at the front, where a hydraulic lift cradle would be attached. The nosegear of the aircraft would then be lifted off the ground by this cradle, transferring the aircraft nose weight on to the tug. Subsequent to this invention, the first towbarless aircraft tug was born.

Air Canada and its union announce agreement

A new seven-year contract, covering more than 500 US-based Air Canada employees, was confirmed by Teamster members when they voted 200 to 101 in favor of the agreement.

Capt David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division, said: “We are pleased that our members at Air Canada have approved a strong contract that keeps their jobs secure and raises workplace standards at the airline. Our focus was to negotiate a contract worthy of our members’ hard work and dedication. That’s why we went back to the table after members voted down the previous tentative agreement. The members have now spoken, showing the new contract meets the exceptional standards that our members deserve.”

The new agreement, in effect through June 2019, imposes 2% increases to the top of the wage scale each year for the first three years of the contract beginning July 1, 2012; and 3% increment each year for the next two years of the contract, followed by a 2% rise for the last two years of the contract. In 2018 member will receive a lump sum bonus of 2%.

The Air Canada contract also expands job security, with a non-subcontracting provision protecting Teamster work, even if flights at a station are entirely replaced with another carrier’s flights. The agreement also gives newer employees access to retirement benefits and new health care options for all members covered by the contract.