APA News Digest

Aug. 29, 2025

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In This Edition ...

Unions’ Conversations Continue as Section 6 Nears

four men standing and smiling

FO Nick Silva, CA Adam Rutherford, United MEC Negotiating Committee Chair CA Andy Riggs, and Delta MEC Chair CA Brian Noyes

APA President FO Nick Silva and APA Negotiating Committee Chair CA Adam Rutherford were in Chicago this week to meet with the leadership of the United ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC). This discussion – which focused on collaboration in upcoming negotiations, pilot sentiment, and potential bargaining priorities – was similar to a conversation FO Silva and CA Rutherford had with the Delta MEC’s leaders in Atlanta last week. With less than a year to the beginning of Section 6 negotiations, building relationships with our peer carriers will be vital to ensuring our profession moves forward.

APA Holiday Schedule

APA headquarters, including Contract Administration, will be closed on Sept. 1 in observance of Labor Day. Contract Administration will be open from 0700 to 1900 Central on Aug. 30 and 31.

As always, your APA support team remains available 24/7. When Contract Administration is closed, calls will be forwarded to a phone service operated by Contract Compliance Committee and Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers. Please note that call-back times may be longer than normal due to limited staffing. If your call is not urgent, we encourage you to wait until normal business hours resume.

You may also want to consult the pilot volunteers on your domicile’s Contract Compliance Committee. Almost every domicile has one, and some of them have larger rosters than the national committee. Contact your local committee by visiting your domicile’s page on AlliedPilots.org and clicking the “Domicile Committee List” link.

To reach a contract administrator, call APA HQ at 1-800-323-1470 and press Option 3. If you prefer to e-mail your question to the contract administrators, click here. For specific FAR 117/fatigue issues requiring immediate attention, you can also call the Emergency Help Line at 682-738-6670 manned 24/7 by Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers.

Positive Rate Episode 62: Smoke Odor and Fumes Subcommittee

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with CA Bridget Van Scoy, Safety Committee Deputy Chair-Smoke Odor and Fumes Subcommittee, about the ongoing collaboration between APA and American Airlines to identify root causes of smoke, odor, and fume events, reduce their frequency, and effect change at the OEM level. CA Van Scoy also addresses what to do if you experience one of these events.

Each episode of “Positive Rate” features APA subject-matter experts working on the membership’s behalf. The podcast is available through popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can search for “Positive Rate” or “Allied Pilots Association” on your platform of choice to subscribe and download. Your first opportunity to listen will be via AlliedPilots.org/Podcasts.

9/11 Observances: We Will Never Forget

a pilot in a field of American flags

CA Rondeau Flynn was among the pilots who placed flags in Sandy, Utah, last year.

APA President FO Nick Silva, Secretary-Treasurer FO Philip Johnson, LGA Domicile Chair CA Mark Lokey, and LGA Domicile Vice Chair CA Jim Scanlan will conduct a wreath-laying ceremony at 1400 Eastern on Sept. 10, at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York. The APA representatives will depart from the New York Marriott Downtown and walk to Ground Zero with a delegation from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. All APA members are welcome to join the APA and APFA representatives after the ceremony at nearby O’Hara’s Restaurant and Pub at 120 Cedar Street.

On Sept. 11, APA will participate in a ceremony at the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial in Grapevine, Texas. The ceremony will begin at 0740 Central.

Other observances and related events:

  • Boston: The BOS Domicile representatives and committee volunteers will join members of the APFA, CWA, and TWU for remembrance ceremonies on the morning of Sept. 11 at Logan. Meet-up will be in operations. The BOS Domicile encourages pilots to participate in full uniform. More details to follow.
  • Sandy, Utah: Pilots and their families are invited to help place more than 3,000 American flags at the Sandy Healing Field at 1700 Mountain on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The United ALPA MEC is organizing this event and has invited APA to participate. The MEC requests summer uniforms with hats. Flag removal will begin at 1730 on Monday, Sept. 15, no uniforms necessary. If you plan to be on hand either day, please notify CA Dave Bernard, Dave.Bernard@alpa.org, or text 801-647-8335.
  • Shanksville, Pa.: The Flight 93 National Memorial will host a public ceremony on Sept. 11 beginning at 0945 Eastern.
  • Yardley, Pa.: The Garden of Reflection 9/11 Memorial in suburban Philadelphia will host a public ceremony beginning at 0830 Eastern on Sept. 11.

As we become aware of additional opportunities to honor and remember the thousands of innocent men, women, and children who died on Sept. 11, 2001, we will share that information with you.

We will never forget.

Telephone Polling to Begin on Sept. 2: Your Input is Vital

In accordance with Section 4.07.A. of the APA Policy Manual, APA will be conducting telephone polling beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Sept. 15. University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center employees will conduct the polling, interviewing randomly selected pilots from across the system.

Your input is vital. If you receive a call, please take the time to answer the call and respond to the questions. All responses will be anonymous. Of note:

  • All calls will originate from 603-397-0660.
  • Caller ID on landlines will indicate "UNH Surv Ctr.”
  • Caller ID on cell phones will indicate “NH Call.”
  • Calling times are between 0900 and 2100 (time zone appropriate).
  • Interviewing a total of 900 randomly selected pilots.
  • UNH will try calling you back if they have not met their sampling quota.

As carriers continue adding spam-blocking technology, you may receive a warning message that reads “spam likely” when the call comes through depending on your service provider. The large volume of calls we make triggers these warning messages. You may want to consider adding 603-397-0660 to your contact list to prevent this from occurring.

The UNH Survey Center employs a small number of remote interviewers. While the interviewers make every attempt to minimize background noise, there may be occasions when respondents hear a barking dog or other ambient sounds.

APA will continue polling the membership through a combination of telephone polling and web surveys to generate reliable and relevant results. Thank you in advance for your engagement.

Analysts on AAL: One Downgrade, One Lower Q3 Projection

This is a new message from the APA Investor Relations Committee.

This week, airlines analysts from Raymond James and Jefferies published investor notes on American Airlines. Jefferies also provided insight into expected aircraft deliveries and retirements.

Savanthi Syth, Raymond James:

  • “We are downgrading AAL from Outperform to Market Perform on more balanced risk-reward as the stock approaches our prior $14 target price.”
  • “Our recent checks indicate that the demand momentum (leisure and corporate) is being sustained. However, airline commentary during the September conference season will be important given greater insights into post-summer business demand trends.”
  • “We expect American’s leverage to continue to improve over the next few years, it is the most leveraged among large U.S. airlines.”
  • “We would note that American is on the cusp of unlocking fleet benefits following fleet delivery delays at Boeing (787s) and Airbus (A321 XLRs). Moreover, as discussed recently, corporate share recapture remains on track, with American’s indirect flown revenue just 3% below historical share, improving 4 ppts q/q. Adding credence to its claim, American’s managed business revenue grew 10% y/y in 2Q, outpacing Delta’s mid-single digit y/y growth.”
  • “Moreover, the renewed Citi credit card agreement (announced in December 2024 and effective January 2026) should on average maintain cash remuneration (and, in turn, earnings contribution) growth at the recent trajectory of ~10% annually.”

Sheila Kahyaoglu, Jefferies:

  • “We lower Q3 EPS (Earnings per Share) to ($0.35) from ($0.24) to reflect lesser sequential unit revs (revenues) across entities.”
  • “The magnitude & duration of the bookings re-acceleration in Q3 remains to play out.”
  • On airplane deliveries and retirements: “50 Deliveries in 2025, but 2026 and 2027 Level Out to <50. The latest Cirium® skyline points to 50 deliveries in 2025 (from 45 as of July; guide ~50) with 6 A321s (from 7), 21 MAXs (from 19), 11 787s (from 8), and 12 E175s (from 11). This includes 5 XLRs w/ the 1st delivery on July 29th (F-WXAA), although it is parked awaiting seats and revenue service may slip to 2026. 2026 deliveries now total 41 (8 XLRs, 16 MAXs, 1 787, 16 E175s) vs 68 prior (22 A321s, 18 MAX, 4 787, 24 E175). 2027 totals 47 (22 A321s, 3 787s, 22 E175s) vs 61 prior (43 A321s, 3 787s, 15 E175s). Management has called out no retirements this decade, which would grow the fleet 5.0% in ’25, 4.8% in ’26, and 4.7% in ’27. We estimate 5 retirements in ’26 and 25 in ’27 for net fleet up 4.3% and 2.3% in ’26 and ’27, respectively.”

*For network portfolio mix perspective compared to Delta and United, JP Morgan provided the following in a recent AAL note to investors: “… American’s domestic-heavy network construct (roughly a 70/30 domestic/international split, relative to DAL & UAL which are closer to 55/45).”

Analyst Forecasts American’s Financial Performance

This is a new message from the APA Investor Relations Committee.

Raymond James airlines analyst Savanthi Syth recently published estimates of pre-tax earnings or losses and EBITDAR (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, and Rent), including aircraft leases, for the third and fourth quarters of 2025 and the full year for American, Delta, and United.

Employee profit-sharing at American is based on full-year, pre-tax profits. According to the company’s recent SEC Proxy Statement, senior management’s long-term compensation/bonus plan is now based on a more management-favorable EBITDAR-relative performance and is no longer tied to the same performance metric as employee profit-sharing.

Wolfe Research recently published a comparison of CEO compensation highlighting these “material changes” for American Airlines.

Join Us For YOUnion 201 on Sept. 10

This is a new message from the APA Compass Project Committee.

The Compass Project hosts a series of YOUnion webinars to educate pilots about various stages of their careers. YOUnion 201 is designed as a “top-off” for newer pilots (6 to 18 months), but the material covered is applicable to ALL members:

  • How APA is governed by the elected officers and organized into committees.
  • What you and your family should expect from the APA.
  • How you can engage and volunteer with the APA.

The next session of YOUnion 201 is scheduled for 1100 Central on Sept. 10 via Zoom.

Register in advance for this webinar.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar from Exec_Assistant@Zoom.com.

Send your feedback to YOUnion@alliedpilots.org.

Check Out MBE User Guide Before Deadline

This is a new message from the APA Information Technology Steering Committee.

Mutual Base Exchange for the November contractual month will close at 2359 Central on Wednesday, Sept. 3. For guidance on the new system, please check out the MBE User Guide.

To all Logbook users: Following last week’s release of near real-time updates, we are requesting feedback on the data synchronization process. Please take a moment to review your data from the past week, and let us know if everything appears accurate and up to date. If you notice any discrepancies or have concerns, please share those details with us at your earliest convenience using the feedback option in the app’s side menu.

Thank you for your time and support.

TDY Hotel Accommodations

This is a recycled message from the APA Membership Committee.

TDY bidding will open next week. All pilots who are awarded or assigned a TDY will receive a CCI message on the 7th of the month to notify them of the TDY for the following month. This CCI message will include a link to the “Pilot Hotel Preference and Waiver Page,” where pilots can preference their hotel option. Pilots can select an “Airport/Short” hotel or a “Downtown/Long” hotel, or they can choose the “TDY Hotel Waiver,” which pays the TDY pilot $2,000 in lieu of a company-provided room. This selection needs to be completed by 1200 Central on the 13th of the month prior to the TDY.

AA cannot wait until after PBS awards are published to make hotel assignments, because allocations need to be accomplished prior to that point. If a pilot is awarded a TDY in a co-terminal location, (i.e., JFK, LGA, EWR) reach out to your TDY base flight admin team to determine the most suitable option after you receive your award, if your initial hotel preference is not appropriate for your PBS award.

For more information, check out the QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document. This resource answers 99 percent of all hotel, transportation, and layover questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On Aug. 26, the Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following new-hire pilots: Ronald Abda, Joshua Adelman, Isaac Adler, Peter Amaral III, Brett Bankus, Dana Boudreault, Christopher Campbell, James Clews, Anthony Drew, Ryan Fitts, Rachel Freeman, Thomas Garner, Alejandro Gaviria, Charles George, Denver Gillham, Ian Gomes, Christopher Guy, Niels Haarsma, Michael Haber, Yusuf Hafez, Christopher Hanson, Robert Hetland, Daniel Hillner, Peter Hodor II, John Homolak, Corey Jencks, Erik Koppisch, Rolando Lim Jr., Shaun Lovett, Jonathan Luhrmann, Ryan Macartney, Arnaud Manautines, Joseph Maner, Stephen McIntyre, Craig Norris, Simon Norwalk, Jason Noyes, Kristopher Phillips, Nicholas Puppolo, Nathan Redding, William Rogers III, James Rohde, Mary Ross, Gopishankar Sethurathinam, Benjamin Storozum, Robert Truesdale, Ricky Vetick Jr., Paul Wallace, Clinton Warner, Timothy Waters, Tyler Welch, David Wojno, Wesley Wood, Joshua Woodard, and Broc Yuskin.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On Aug. 27, the Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: Benjamin Andreas, Glenroy Andrew, Jeffrey Bordenave, Kelly Casile, Levi Chavez, Terry Dowell Jr., Jonathan Lilly, Marcus McCullough, Robert Morrison, Chad Nedved, Gabriel Romero Gonzalez, and Scott Swider.

Domicile Elections

The following results for the PHX Nomination Round were certified by Sequent on Thursday:

PHX Chair
CA Richard Baker: 8
CA William “Ed” Price: 12
CA Jeremy Ryder: 107
CA Mitch Vasin: 201

PHX Vice Chair
CA Nicholas Chaplin: 30
FO Jadan Joyner-Fields: 32
CA John McIlvenna: 185
FO Adrian Osio: 68

The Election Round voting period for PHL and PHX will be open from 0900 Central on Sept. 9 until 0900 Central on Oct. 1. The deadline for receipt of mailed paper ballots is 1000 Central on Oct. 1. These pilots will be listed on the Election Round ballots:

PHL Chair
CA Paul DiOrio
CA Christopher Henshall

PHL Vice Chair
CA Eric Friedman
CA Brian Sweep

PHX Chair
CA William “Ed” Price
CA Jeremy Ryder
CA Mitch Vasin

PHX Vice Chair
FO Jadan Joyner-Fields
CA John McIlvenna
FO Adrian Osio

These candidates’ resumes are posted on the Elections page on AlliedPilots.org.

Domicile Events

a group of men in baseball caps eating crab at a picnic table

The BOS Domicile Officers hosted a picnic for pilots and their families on Aug. 23 at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery Point, Maine. You can see more photos on APA’s Facebook page.

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

  • CLT: Domicile Meeting at Charlotte Knights game on Sept. 7
  • DCA: DCA Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept. 10; Baltimore Orioles game on Sept. 24
  • DFW: Retirement Party on Sept. 6; Concourse Conversations on Sept. 23
  • LAX: San Diego Lunch on Sept. 9; Redondo Beach Lunch on Sept. 16; Temecula Lunch on Sept. 17
  • LGA: New York Mets game on Aug. 31
  • MIA: TPA Gathering at Yard House on Aug. 31; Tampa Bay Rays game on Sept. 1; Concourse Conversations on Sept. 19; Daytona Beach Meet-Up on Sept. 20; Retirement Dinner Cruise on Oct. 4; IMAX Training on Oct. 6; Domicile Meeting on Oct. 30
  • ORD: Northern Illinois Air Show on Sept. 6
  • PHX: Domicile Meeting on Sept. 24; Arizona Diamondbacks game on Sept. 24

Week in Review

Here are some recent messages you may have missed:

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Retirement and Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Training Committee (0)
    • Checkmate Subcommittee (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Professional Standards FAQs

Is management required to use Professional Standards?
No. The Professional Standards program is an APA volunteer committee that does not involve discipline. A call to domicile Professional Standards volunteers should be considered as the first step: First call? Union first! Resolved issues submitted to the Professional Standards Committee cannot be used by management to support other disciplinary actions at any time in the future. The objective is to facilitate a change at the lowest possible level to prevent the need for a traditional discipline approach.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee. Our next cruise, a nine-night excursion across the southern Caribbean, launches Oct. 9.

Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for Sept. 19 and 20 near DFW. Click here for more information.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

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