pilots

American Airlines has announced the passing of Capt. David E. Harris. In 1964, Harris became the first Black pilot of a commercial airline when American hired him.

Arts

The first Black pilot of a commercial airline has died at 89

5:12pm March 13, 2024

by Elizabeth Blair

David E. Harris became the first Black pilot to fly for a commercial airline when American Airlines hired him in 1964. Announcing Capt. Harris' death, American's CEO called him a "trailblazer."

For decades, pilots have been reluctant to seek mental health care for fear of losing their licenses. At a safety forum Wednesday in Washington, pilots and safety experts urged federal regulators to reform rules that discourage pilots from getting treatment.

National

Pilots say they're afraid to seek mental health care. The FAA says it's listening

3:44pm December 06, 2023

by Joel Rose

At a summit on mental health in aviation, pilots and safety experts urged regulators to reform rules that discourage people from seeking treatment because they're afraid of losing clearance to fly.

United Auto Workers members march while holding signs at a union rally held near a Stellantis factory Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Detroit.

Economy

Why auto workers are asking for a 46% pay raise

11:10am September 07, 2023

by Danielle Kaye

Bold union demands, bolstered by a tight labor market and frustration throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, are paying off in some sectors with significant raises for workers.

A Delta Air Lines plane takes off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Nov. 22, 2022. Pilots at Delta Air Lines have a new contract with hefty pay increases. The Air Line Pilots Association said Wednesday, March 1, 2023 that 78% of Delta pilots who voted supported the contract.

National

Delta Air Lines pilots approve contract to raise pay by more than 30%

2:39am March 02, 2023

by The Associated Press

Pilots at Delta Air Lines approved a new contract that will raise their pay by more than 30% over four years and likely lead to similar agreements covering union pilots at other major U.S. airlines.

A student pilot and flight instructor prepare to take off on a training flight outside of Phoenix.

Proposals would ease standards, raise retirement age to address pilot shortage

2:38pm August 10, 2022

by David Schaper

Airlines blame a shortage of pilots for widespread cancellations and reduced service. Would allowing pilots to keep flying past age 65 and reducing the 1,500-hour flight training requirement help?

The number of new pilots entering the industry is below the demand.

National

A pilot shortage that's been brewing for years adds to the summer travel chaos

2:56pm July 01, 2022

by Alejandra Marquez Janse

The pipeline of new pilots has been shrinking for years. As summer travel demand increases, the shortage is adding to the strain in airlines and chaos at the airports.

Queue Listen Now

Cmdr. Jeanine Menze, stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Oahu, Hawaii, in 2006.

National

How the Coast Guard's 1st Black woman pilot helped give the next one her wings

7:14am October 02, 2021

Jeanine Menze was discouraged from pursuing her dream to fly planes when she didn't see any women of color in the field. Then she met La'Shanda Holmes. "When I met you, I saw myself," Menze told her.

Frontier Airlines jetliners sit at gates on the A concourse at Denver International Airport. Lawsuits filed on Tuesday accuse the airline of discriminating against pregnant and nursing women.

Flight Attendants, Pilots Say Frontier Discriminated Against New Moms

5:59pm December 10, 2019

by Sarah McCammon

In a pair of lawsuits filed in federal court, a group of pilots and flight attendants says Frontier Airlines failed to accommodate the needs of pregnant and nursing women.

Queue Listen Now

Employees check a Sichuan Airlines Airbus A-319 on Monday after an emergency landing in Chengdu in China's northwestern Sichuan province. A cockpit window that broke midflight has been covered up; the flight's co-pilot was partially sucked out of the wind

World News

Chinese Jet Lands Safely After Co-Pilot Partially Sucked Out Of Windshield

1:37pm May 15, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The co-pilot of the Sichuan Airlines flight was pulled back into the cockpit with only minor injuries. The pilot brought the Airbus down in an emergency landing, and no passengers were harmed.

American Airlines is offering its pilots 150 percent of their hourly pay to work during the holidays, after a glitch allowed too many pilots to take vacation at the same time.

Oops: American Airlines Accidentally Let Too Many Pilots Take Off The Holidays

7:32pm November 29, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

The pilots union says 15,000 flights at the end of the year don't have anyone to fly them, because of a glitch in the system pilots use to bid for time off.