Atlas Air (5Y, New York JFK) pilots represented by the Airline Professionals Association (APA) Teamsters Local 1224 union won an arbitration case against the carrier which effectively bars the airline from wet-leasing passenger aircraft, The Loadstar has reported.
The airline said it was only resorting to wet-leasing in case of technical problems with its own passenger aircraft. The arbitrator, however, concluded that even such limited wet-leasing breaches the collective bargaining agreement. As such, Atlas Air was ordered to either add another passenger aircraft as a spare or take risks of cancellation in case of technical downtime of its jets.
Atlas Air, a cargo-focussed airline, is gradually expanding into passenger charter business which currently accounts for about a quarter of its charter revenues.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, out of Atlas Air's entire fleet of ninety-six units, only ten are passenger-configured. The fleet includes two B747-400s operated on behalf of the United States Air Force, two VIP-configured B747-400s deployed on charters, a single B767-200 managed on behalf of MLW Air (Dallas Love Field), and five B767-300(ER)s, including one operated on behalf of the USAF.
Atlas Air did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.
