UPS Begins Pilot Furloughs this Weekend

UPS Airlines will furlough 54 pilots Sunday and may cut around 250 additional pilots by year end, according to both the company and the Independent Pilots Assn. representing the cargo carrier's 2,800 pilots.

UPS said in February that it would begin furloughing "at least" 300 pilots in phases beginning this month unless it could "find a solution with the pilots' union that would avert or mitigate the layoffs before they take effect" (ATWOnline, Feb. 9).

Last year, the company and IPA reached agreement on "a variety of voluntary steps" to cut $90 million in costs, in exchange for a promise from management that there would be no furloughs through April 1 of this year. But UPS said this week that lower demand, a more modern fleet requiring fewer pilots and raising of the pilot retirement age from 60 to 65 in December 2007 necessitates its first-ever pilot furloughs.

READ MORE:   ATW