Friday March 22, 11:17 am Eastern Time

PHILADELPHIA, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is challenging US Airways' decision to fire a second pilot for being critical of inconsistent security screening at Philadelphia's International Airport. US Airways pilots have created a fund to assist both pilots.

"US Airways pilots have established a fund, called Pilots Against Irrational Security (PAIRS), to assist two fellow captains in their legal battles as a result of inconsistent security screening in Philadelphia," said Captain Chris Beebe, Chairman of the Master Executive Council of the US Airways unit of ALPA.

A fund has been established by line pilots for two Philadelphia-based captains who were wrongfully criminally charged, and then terminated by US Airways, after experiencing inconsistent airport security screening procedures at Philadelphia International Airport.

The US Airways unit of ALPA endorses the fund.

Both of these pilots were arrested since September 11 while attempting to report for work at Philadelphia International Airport, where US Airways operates one of its largest pilot crew bases. These arrests occurred at the same security checkpoint at the airport, Terminal B, and are the only two such reported arrests of ALPA pilots in the entire nation.

Contributions can be made by anyone who wishes to assist these two pilots as they attempt to recover their jobs and regain their careers. Contributions should be made payable to the ``PAIRS Fund'' and sent to:

ATTN: PAIRS Fund
ALPA US Airways MEC
One Thorn Run Center, Suite 400
1187 Thorn Run Road
Moon Twp., PA 15108

The proceeds solicited for the PAIRS Fund are purely voluntary. This fund is not a qualified charitable trust, and therefore contributions are not tax deductible.

ALPA is the world's oldest and largest airline pilot union founded in 1931. It represents 64,000 airline pilots at 43 carriers in the United States and Canada.

SOURCE: Air Line Pilots Association, International