Atlas, Southern Air pilots land tentative agreement

Deal brings Southern Air pilots’ wages in line with those of Atlas Air.    Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings this week reached a tentative agreement with Southern Air’s pilots, who are represented by Teamsters Local 1224, to bring their wages in line with pilots of Atlas Air.
   The agreement also provides for a ratification bonus and other terms and conditions that are comparable to those provided to Atlas Air’s pilots.
   Southern Air’s pilots must now ratify the agreement over the next several weeks.
   “This agreement to benefit our Southern Air pilots is the result of collaborative and productive discussions with the IBT (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) leadership as we continue on our path toward the merger of Atlas Air and Southern Air and completing a joint collective bargaining agreement,” said Atlas Air President and Chief Operating Officer John W. Dietrich in a statement.
   Atlas acquired longtime and storied cargo carrier Southern Air in early 2016. Southern Air is a prime supplier of cargo aircraft and pilots to DHL. However, due to the wage concerns, the carrier has found it increasingly difficult to retain and bring new pilots on board. 
   “We want to better serve the airline and the many customers across the globe who rely on our work, but to do so we need to stop the rapid turnover and hire pilots to meet DHL’s ever-growing demands,” said Capt. Bryan Holmberg, a veteran pilot at Southern Air and the Southern Air executive council chairman at Teamsters Local 1224.
   Capt. Daniel Wells, an Atlas Air pilot and president of Teamsters Local 1224, supported Southern Air pilots’ contract negotiations. “If AAWW (Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings) wants to grow its business, it needs to plan for pilots’ long-term success and negotiate fair, industry-standard contracts across its carriers,” he said.
   Atlas Air Worldwide is a global provider of outsourced Boeing cargo planes and aviation operating services. It is the parent company of Atlas Air, Southern Air Holdings and Titan Aviation Holdings, as well as the majority shareholder of Polar Air Cargo Worldwide.