The union says management ordered the pilots to do extra simulator training for ordering between 10 and 15 minutes worth of additional fuel on late-winter flights across the Atlantic.
CHARLOTTE -- A pilots' union is accusing US Airways of intimidating its senior captains in an effort to reduce fuel costs. The U.S. Airline Pilots Association says it plans to file a complaint with the FAA saying the airline is using unapproved training to punish pilots for using too much fuel.
The airline industry is doing everything it can right now come up with ways to save fuel. The latest cutback came this week when US Airways announced it will no longer provide movies on domestic flights. Now, a pilots union says the airline has gone too far by taking away a pilot’s discretion on how much fuel is really necessary.
"It's extracurricular. As far as we're concerned, it's not required and what they're trying to do is intimidate our captains," said James Ray, spokesman for the U.S. Airline Pilots Association.
Ray says management ordered the pilots to do extra simulator training for ordering between 10 and 15 minutes worth of additional fuel on late-winter flights across the Atlantic. That translates into about 2,500 pounds worth of fuel depending on the plane.
News 14 Carolina's Heather Waliga has more on why some senior captains have filed complaints against US Airways.
That discretion, he says, is regulated by the FAA, and if the pilots don't complete the training successfully, the FAA could pull his or her flying license.
"The fuel cost is really causing an issue for all the airlines, so we understand that cost cutting is important,” said Ray. “Cutting peanuts off the aircraft is one thing, but taking necessary fuel off the aircraft is a completely different issue."
US Airways admits it instituted the new fuel conservation training as a cost-saving measure but the airline says the pilots aren't being disciplined; they're simply being given paid training.
"We've recently instituted new fuel conservation segments during pilot recurrent training programs. All pilots go through this training,” US Airways spokesperson Michelle Mohr said. “Safety is absolutely our first and foremost priority regarding everything we do at US Airways. We, of course, are not instructing pilots to ever make a decision that could even remotely compromise the safe operation of the aircraft.”
Ray says if the pilots can't make the call on additional fuel, that could mean more stops short of destinations and more inconveniences for passengers.
By federal regulations, the pilot in command has the discretion to determine a sufficient fuel load for international flights, but as long as airlines meet the minimum fuel requirements, the FAA says the dispute remains between the pilots and US Airways.