Mesa Air Pilots Ratify Pay Deal

Pilots at US regional carrier Mesa Airlines have ratified an agreement on pay and conditions.

The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) union representing the pilots said the four year deal was ratified by 58 percent of the 761 who voted in the ballot.

The union said the agreement gives all pilots pay increases and higher pay for deadheading. The deal also eliminates base pay, which will increase annual earnings.

The agreement includes improvements to pilot scheduling, including reserve pilots, and the selection of hotels. It also includes a process to begin negotiations six months before the amendable date, ALPA said.

ALPA Mesa pilots Master Executive Council chairman Captain Andy Hughes said “We are pleased with today’s results. This agreement delivers improvements in pay, vacation, and retirement, placing us in line with the rest of our peers.”

The ratification represents more than six years of direct contract negotiations with the company, including three months with the assistance of the US National Mediation Board.

Mesa operates over 600 daily flights for American Eagle and United Express with a fleet of 135 Bombardier and Embraer regional jets.