ALPA's Communications Department provides information and support for news media inquiries. An ALPA communications representative can be reached in the Herndon, Va. office at (703) 481-4440.

December 5, 2001
Release: #01.128

Raleigh, NC – After declaring bankruptcy in August and ceasing operations following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Midway Airlines is poised to return to the skies in part due to a revised pilot contract. Negotiators from the Air Line Pilots Association, International, which represent Midway’s pilots, and airline management commenced talks for revising the pilots’ contract on November 13, after the airline was promised federal funding via the government’s airline aid bill.

Captain Mark Stewart of the Midway unit of ALPA, noted the significance of the revised contract, stating: "Although parts of the agreement are concessionary in nature, many of the concessions are temporary and ‘snap back’ to the original agreement no later than October 1, 2002. We feel these provisions, combined with the government aid, will provide the company with the necessary operational capital to get Midway Airlines up and running again. After all, our common goal from the outset of these talks was to bring Midway Airlines’ "Carolina Service" back to our hometown of Raleigh-Durham."

The new contract is a revised version of the four-year agreement effective April 1, 2000. As both the company and the pilots look forward to improving economic conditions, this revised contract will allow Midway to restart service as soon as December 19, 2001 with four 737 aircraft. The airline expects to hire 52 pilots by March 1, 2002.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilots union, representing 67,000 crewmembers at 46 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at: cf.alpa.org.

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ALPA: Stacy Platone 703.481.4440