Allied Pilots Association

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) serves as the certified collective bargaining agent for the 16,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines. APA was founded in 1963 and is the largest independent pilots’ union in the world. APA provides a broad range of representation services for its members and devotes more than 20 percent of its dues income to support aviation safety.

HEADLINES

APA in the News

Skift, Feb. 5


American Airlines unions escalate pressure on CEO after storm failures and weak profits

American Airlines is facing growing backlash from its unions following its poor response to a major winter storm and weak earnings that have hurt profit-sharing payouts. “The membership’s feedback is clear: They do not believe that, under the current leadership, this company can realize its full potential,” APA President First Officer Nick Silva told the union’s Board of Directors. Read the article …

Reuters, Jan. 28


Storm tests American as stranded crews face hotel shortages, long waits for help

Reuters cited a memo to members from APA President First Officer Nick Silva, who accused management of an insufficient response to the winter storm and said the union planned to file grievances, including complaints over hotel quality during the disruption. Read the article …

Forbes, Jan. 27


American crews can’t reach planes as airline slowly recovers from Fern

APA spokesperson Capt. Dennis Tajer told Forbes, “Many airplanes are stuck on gates because they’re missing pilots and or flight attendants. American accounted for the hardware, but they did not account for the humans that have to fly the airplanes.” Read the article ...

WHAT'S HAPPENING

APA Public Statements

Allied Pilots Association Board of Directors to American Airlines Group Board of Directors: “We Need Decisive Action”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Capt. Dennis Tajer, 847-902-8481/Gregg Overman, 817-312-3901 Allied Pilots Association Board of Directors to American Airlines Group Board of Directors: “We Need Decisive Action” Union Seeks Meeting with Airline’s Board FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 6, 2026) — The board of directors of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, sent the following letter today to the American Airlines Group Board of Directors: “The Allied Pilots Association Board of Directors, representing the more than 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, is writing to address the current operational environment, leadership approach, and long-term strategic direction of American Airlines. Our airline is on an underperforming path and has failed to define an identity or a strategy to correct course.  “This assessment is not the result of a single interaction with management, an isolated operational disruption, or an individual earnings report; it is the result of persistent patterns of operational, cultural, and strategic shortcomings. Copying competitors’ initiatives and reactive repairs to the mistakes of the past is not a strategy to a future that closes the gap between American and our premium competitors, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.  “For more than a year, APA has voiced concerns regarding management’s ability to turn the corner. Management has been given repeated opportunities to articulate a credible strategy and demonstrate measurable improvement. Those opportunities have passed without meaningful change. Despite repeated assurances, the operation continues to struggle under predictable stressors, exposing systemic weaknesses in preparation, execution, and decision making. These consequences are shouldered by our customers and employees every day.  “These failures have negatively impacted the financial performance of our company and frustrated all stakeholders, to include shareholders, for far too long. While our premium competitors’ market capitalization has soared, American’s has soured. As their free cash flow is sustained and growing, ours is inconsistent and stumbles. As our competitors drive and arrive at investment-grade balance sheets, management’s miscalculations leave American trailing in that investment-grade effort as well. Management self-lauds their proclaimed industry leading ‘efficiency,’ yet they fail to fully monetize the assets under their charge and leave us in a revenue trailing position compared to Delta and United.  “As Directors, you are the fiduciaries of this organization and are charged with oversight, not optimism. American is no longer best in class financially, operationally, or in customer service. The pilots of American want our company to win and dominate the competition, not just survive and compete. Our careers are intrinsically tied to the fate and performance of this once-great airline. “Our members have been clear and consistent in their expectations regarding these issues and have lost confidence in management’s ability to correct course. We are not interested in symbolic gestures. We need decisive action. We require leaders who are willing, equipped, and empowered to get the house in order. Leadership must change the culture of this airline, define American’s business identity, develop a strategy to not just improve but to outperform our competitors, and restore pride across the organization. Anything less will result in the continued deterioration of the American Airlines brand.  “We are prepared to explore these topics in greater detail. We respectfully request that APA President Nick Silva be afforded the opportunity to formally present our concerns to the AA Board of Directors. The pilots of American Airlines stand ready to support a future built on results, accountability, operational excellence, service to our customers, and respect for the frontline leaders who make this airline run.” Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association – the largest independent pilots union in the United States – is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org.

We Need Decisive Action

We Need Decisive Action Your APA Board of Directors sent the following letter today to the American Airlines Group Board of Directors: Members of the American Airlines Group Board of Directors: The Allied Pilots Association Board of Directors, representing the more than 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, is writing to address the current operational environment, leadership approach, and long-term strategic direction of American Airlines. Our airline is on an underperforming path and has failed to define an identity or a strategy to correct course.  This assessment is not the result of a single interaction with management, an isolated operational disruption, or an individual earnings report; it is the result of persistent patterns of operational, cultural, and strategic shortcomings. Copying competitors’ initiatives and reactive repairs to the mistakes of the past is not a strategy to a future that closes the gap between American and our premium competitors, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.  For more than a year, APA has voiced concerns regarding management’s ability to turn the corner. Management has been given repeated opportunities to articulate a credible strategy and demonstrate measurable improvement. Those opportunities have passed without meaningful change. Despite repeated assurances, the operation continues to struggle under predictable stressors, exposing systemic weaknesses in preparation, execution, and decision making. These consequences are shouldered by our customers and employees every day.  These failures have negatively impacted the financial performance of our company and frustrated all stakeholders, to include shareholders, for far too long. While our premium competitors’ market capitalization has soared, American’s has soured. As their free cash flow is sustained and growing, ours is inconsistent and stumbles. As our competitors drive and arrive at investment-grade balance sheets, management’s miscalculations leave American trailing in that investment-grade effort as well. Management self-lauds their proclaimed industry leading “efficiency,” yet they fail to fully monetize the assets under their charge and leave us in a revenue trailing position compared to Delta and United.  As Directors, you are the fiduciaries of this organization and are charged with oversight, not optimism. American is no longer best in class financially, operationally, or in customer service. The pilots of American want our company to win and dominate the competition, not just survive and compete. Our careers are intrinsically tied to the fate and performance of this once-great airline. Our members have been clear and consistent in their expectations regarding these issues and have lost confidence in management’s ability to correct course. We are not interested in symbolic gestures. We need decisive action. We require leaders who are willing, equipped, and empowered to get the house in order. Leadership must change the culture of this airline, define American’s business identity, develop a strategy to not just improve but to outperform our competitors, and restore pride across the organization. Anything less will result in the continued deterioration of the American Airlines brand.  We are prepared to explore these topics in greater detail. We respectfully request that APA President Nick Silva be afforded the opportunity to formally present our concerns to the AA Board of Directors. The pilots of American Airlines stand ready to support a future built on results, accountability, operational excellence, service to our customers, and respect for the frontline leaders who make this airline run. Respectfully, CA Lawrence Cutler, BOS Chair CA Thomas Knox, BOS Vice Chair CA Heather Boulanger, CLT Chair FO Hickory Ham, CLT Vice Chair CA Chris Wachter, DCA Chair CA Tom Lawler, DCA Vice Chair CA Brian Smith, DFW Chair FO Jason Gustin, DFW Vice Chair CA William Brynjolfsson, LAX Chair CA Tim Dick, LAX Vice Chair CA Mark Lokey, LGA Chair CA Jim Scanlan, LGA Vice Chair CA Jay Wilhelm, MIA Chair FO Jamie Funderburk, MIA Vice Chair CA Wes Smith, ORD Chair FO Paul Meyers, ORD Vice Chair CA Chris Henshall, PHL Chair CA Brian Sweep, PHL Vice Chair CA Mitchell Vasin, PHX Chair CA John McIlvenna, PHX Vice Chair The Allied Pilots Association Board of Directors

They Pushed, We Talked ... and Said What Needed to be Said

They Pushed, We Talked ... and Said What Needed to be Said On Wednesday afternoon, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations JonCarlo Gulbranson and Vice President of Flight Operations CA Alan Johnson addressed your Board of Directors and National Officers. This visit from management was precipitated by a request from CA Johnson and was not part of the Board’s original agenda. Additionally, CA Johnson did not disclose the subject nor intent of the requested time in front of your Board.  As their appearance came at their request, your Board provided Mr. Gulbranson and CA Johnson with an uninterrupted opportunity to offer whatever thoughts prompted their desire to address the assembled group.  Mr. Gulbranson spent several minutes discussing the recent events surrounding Winter Storm Fern and the multi-day operational failures that followed, to include unvarnished reviews of areas of management misjudgments and overestimation of recovery abilities.  APA Vice President CA Chris Torres and several members of your Board then took the opportunity to address Mr. Gulbranson and CA Johnson directly about many of the issues, concerns, and disturbing trends our members are facing on a daily basis.  The issues raised by your representatives included not only the unacceptable recovery events but myriad issues that our pilots report to APA daily – issues that create a toxic work environment and negatively impact our pilots’ ability to balance family life with work life. They focused on our frustration with management’s efforts to obstruct our pilots’ ability to serve as frontline leaders and to do our jobs. The issues relayed to Mr. Gulbranson and CA Johnson not only undermine American Airlines’ reputation but also make it challenging for pilots to be proud of the airline to which we have committed our professional lives. Each of the APA Officers spoke with candor, passion, and a genuine desire to have Mr. Gulbranson and CA Johnson not only hear, but truly understand, what our pilots believe about their jobs and our airline. None of the speakers invited a response to their remarks from Mr. Gulbranson or CA Johnson. Rather, they simply took the opportunity to relay what so many of you would like to say directly to management if given the same chance. The gathering concluded shortly after the speakers completed voicing their concerns.  The decision to limit the number of speakers on behalf of the Association and the selection of those speakers was a product of much discussion and collaboration among Board members, the National Officers, and various SMEs. The byproduct of that work resulted in one of the best displays of leadership that I have seen at APA in many years. Your entire Board of Directors, even those who did not actively participate in offering remarks, acted as the professionals that they are and represented each and every member of our Association in expressing the very real problems that exist at our airline. They made all of us proud. I am pleased to say that you don’t have to take my word for how well your Board of Directors represented the pilots of American Airlines on Wednesday; you can hear them yourselves. I encourage you all to take the time to listen to each of these clips and appreciate how your representatives took the opportunity to speak truth to power. After all, the truth only hurts if it should. “Our pilots are angry. They are demoralized. And their faith in American Airlines leadership is exhausted.” APA Vice President CA Chris Torres ( Hear his full remarks ) “You have young pilots here, young captains who are hungry for success, and you’re putting 30 years of poison in the soil. They will be your frontline leaders. Challenge them to do the right thing by showing them you care for them.” DFW Domicile Vice Chair FO Jason Gustin ( Hear his full remarks ) “You know who the weakest pilots are on the contract? Flight. The Chief Pilots. They don’t know the contract worth a hill of beans. And that’s unfortunate because it’s our contract – the company and the pilots.” DCA Domicile Chair CA Chris Wachter ( Hear his full remarks ) “I’m talking about a very disturbing trend that’s emerged over the last few months. A very clear pattern of harassment at the direction of Flight Department senior leaders who apparently believe we should fire more pilots. Chief Pilots being instructed to crack down on minor infractions and aggressively track sick calls.” LGA Domicile Vice Chair CA Jim Scanlan ( Hear his full remarks ) “I think this body has been left wondering if you’re ever going to make the same leap of faith to put some trust in your pilots that they made years ago when they decided to take that leap of faith and come and hitch their wagon to American Airlines.” DFW Domicile Chair CA Brian Smith ( Hear his full remarks )

Allied Pilots Association Lauds H.R. 7148: “Provides Critical Support”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Capt. Dennis Tajer, 847-902-8481/Gregg Overman, 817-312-3901 Allied Pilots Association Lauds H.R. 7148: “Provides Critical Support” FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 5, 2026) — The Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, expressed its appreciation for the bipartisan support for and enactment of H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. “This funding legislation provides critical support and is essential to maintain the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our National Airspace System,” said First Officer Nick Silva, APA President. “This bill’s passage is a positive step for our nation’s aviation system and the millions of passengers who rely on it every day. This legislation provides critical resources for the Federal Aviation Administration and the aviation professionals who keep our skies safe.” Among the provisions of H.R. 7148 beneficial to commercial aviation: Increases funding for the FAA by $1.588 billion. Provides the FAA with resources to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers. Creates an internship program to benefit students and early-career participants in aviation, including pilot-related roles. Creates a veterans’ pilot training program that supports transitioning military aviators into civilian pilot roles. “While the work to strengthen our National Airspace System and address longstanding challenges continues, APA remains ready to work with all stakeholders, as we did with the Administration and Congress to end the previous shutdown,” he said. “On behalf of the 16,000 pilots we represent, APA appreciates the bipartisan effort to move this bill forward and urges Congress to continue working together to support a strong, safe, and resilient aviation system.” Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association – the largest independent pilots union in the United States – is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 16,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org.
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