Air Line Pilot Podcast

Ten new contracts, hundreds of pilots picketing, four congressional hearings. 2023 started out fast and never slowed down.

With new contracts, new pilot groups, and membership higher than ever before, this was a banner year for the Air Line Pilots Association. Capt. Jason Ambrosi recounts the events of the past year with Strategic Preparedness and Strike Committee Chair, Capt. Ronan O’Donoghue, Government Affairs Director Elizabeth Baker, Representation Director Andrew Shostack, and Communications Director David Weaver.

Mid-flight, when a system fails, and an emergency arises, is the wrong time to discover that no one is flying the plane. But efforts to implement Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) are setting the stage for that to become a reality.

The growing threat of efforts to remove pilots from the flight deck is one of the greatest risks facing aviation safety today. ALPA joined with pilots across the world to build a unified approach against these efforts. Capt. John Sluys (Alaska Airlines), ALPA International Affairs Coordinator and Capt. Bill Secord (FedEx Express), ALPA Reduced Crew Operations Committee Chair, joined ALPA President, Capt. Jason Ambrosi for a conversation about the dangers of RCO and the work pilots are doing together to stop it.

2023 was a historic year for ALPA with record contracts, events, and membership growth. In part two of this two-part series of interviews, ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi sits down with the chairs of four more pilot groups to discuss the challenges and successes they faced this year, and how they’re continuing to support ALPA members. As their groups continue to evolve, Capt. Mike Sterling (ATI) and Capt. Adam Spurrier (Endeavor) discuss how they’re managing turnover in their groups and council leadership, as well as the steps they’re taking to advocate for their members. Capt. Darren Hartmann (Delta) and Capt. Garth Thompson (United) share the steps they took to secure strong contracts this year, and how they collaborated with other pilot groups to learn from their success, while lifting up ALPA members across the industry.

2023 was a historic year for ALPA with record contracts, picketing events, and membership growth. In part one of this two-part series of interviews, ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi sits down with the chairs of several pilot groups to discuss the challenges and successes they earned this year, and how they’re continuing to support ALPA members.

Beginning late last year, the pilots at Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines kicked off a series of strong contracts across the union when they successfully negotiated huge wins in their new contracts. Capt. Ambrosi talks with Capt. Will McQuillen (Alaska) and Capt. Larry Payne (Hawaiian) about the tactics and collaboration that helped their success.

Also in this episode, Capt. Ambrosi talks with the Air Canada pilot group’s chair, First Officer Charlene Hudy, and the WestJet chair, Capt. Bernie Lewall. The Air Canada pilots are currently negotiating a new contract, while the WestJet pilots narrowly averted a strike this past spring to secure their new contract. Capt. Lewall also shares updates on the pilot group’s merger with Sunwing. Finally, Capt. Chris Kenney (JetBlue) and Capt. Ryan Muller (Spirit) discuss how they’re working to protect their pilot groups as the government decides if the two airlines will be allowed to merge.

The annual Air Safety Forum is the pinnacle of ALPA’s work to protect aviation safety and security, and ALPA president, Capt. Jason Ambrosi caught up with First Vice President and National Safety Coordinator, Capt. Wendy Morse and Aviation Security Chair Capt. Wolfgang Koch to discuss this year’s forum. With the rise in unruly passengers, Capt. Koch discussed the need to strengthen flight deck protections and other security priorities, and Capt. Morse discussed runway safety, the threat of reduced crew operations, and other pressing topics from this year’s forum. 

ALPA has long been at the forefront of strengthening aviation safety—as the largest non-governmental aviation safety organization in the world— and in a conversation with ALPA president, Jason Ambrosi, Aviation Safety Chair, Capt. Steve Jangelis shares ALPA’s role in accident investigations, crafting regulations, and pilot training.  As Congress continues the work to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, Jangelis and Ambrosi discuss ALPA’s wins in recent years, and what they’re focused on this year.

Every year, ALPA members and aviation enthusiasts flock to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture. We talked with ALPA volunteers and pilot leaders about their experience at Oshkosh, how ALPA engages with our members there, and what we’re doing to inspire the next generation of airline pilots.  

Six months into his term as ALPA president, Capt. Jason Ambrosi sits down with the Air Line Pilot Podcast to discuss his time in office. In the interview Ambrosi discussed the progress made during his first six months, the fight over the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill on Capitol Hill, and ongoing work to strengthen aviation safety.