Release #02.029
April 18, 2002

CHARLOTTE, NC – Union leaders of CCAir pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), yesterday announced that they have reached a new tentative agreement with the airline’s management.

The tentative agreement — reached as CCAir pilots faced the threat of job terminations on May 15, 2002, and a July 1, 2002, shutdown of the carrier’s operations — includes job security provisions and pay increases over the duration of the five-year deal. The tentative agreement is now subject to an expedited ratification vote by the pilot membership.

Brian Billups, vice chairman of the ALPA CCAir Master Executive Council (MEC), stated, "While the tentative agreement is less than we had hoped for, it includes several improvements over the previous proposal that was recently voted down by the CCAir pilots. It also provides management with the ability to address a number of its financial concerns."

Despite the fact that the current CCAir pilot contract does not become amendable under the Railway Labor Act until November 6, 2002, CCAir management reported economic difficulties that challenge the viability of the company, and sought contract relief from the 140-member pilot group. "CCAir pilots may not stand up and cheer for the terms of this tentative agreement," stated Billups, "but I believe we all understand that our job security requires some sacrifice."

CCAir is a subsidiary of the Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group and operates as a US Airways Express carrier, based in Charlotte.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s oldest and largest pilot union, representing more than 62,000 cockpit crewmembers at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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ALPA Contact: John Perkinson, (703) 481-4440