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.

News Release

Release #02.110
December 13, 2002

PHOENIX — Uniformed pilots of America West Airlines and Mesa Air will conduct informational picketing on December 16 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to demonstrate their unified opposition to Mesa Air Group’s formation of Freedom Airlines as an alter-ego carrier.

"The only reason Mesa Air Group has set up Freedom Airlines is to divert work from the dedicated Mesa pilots and give our jobs to Freedom pilots, who don’t have the benefits or protections of a union contract," said Captain Andrew Hughes, chairman of the Mesa Airlines ALPA unit.

"We recognize that Freedom Airlines threatens the careers of all professional pilots," said Eric Edwards, chairman of the America West ALPA unit. "We are disappointed that America West chooses to do business with a company that shows such little respect for its employees, which demonstrates how our company feels about its own pilots."

In September, ALPA’s Executive Board reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to opposing Freedom Airlines as a non-union, alter ego carrier.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world's oldest and largest pilot union representing 66,000 pilots at 43 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at http://www.alpa.org.

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ALPA CONTACT: Scott Sherrin, (602) 306-4100 or (602) 418-2979.