Flight attendants honored for response to the Christmas Day 'underpants bomber'

by B .N. Sullivan

The flight attendants who dealt with the infamous 'underpants bomber' on Northwest Flight 253 this past Christmas Day have been honored by their union. The Detroit-based flight attendants were given the prestigious C.B. Lansing Award for successfully thwarting the terrorist attack on December 25, 2009. The award ceremony took place earlier this week at the annual board meeting of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) in Las Vegas.

Quoting from the AFA press release about the award:

“A catastrophe was averted on Christmas day because of the professionalism of the flight attendants on Northwest flight 253,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. “Their quick responses were nothing short of heroic as they identified and mobilized the necessary resources on board and saved the lives of 290 passengers and crew. They exemplify what it means to be a flight attendant in 2010, a front-line safety and security professional.”

The C.B. Lansing Memorial Award was established following the tragic and heroic events aboard Aloha Airlines flight 243 on April 28, 1988 when Aloha flight attendants faced a sudden and serious aircraft incident. C.B. Lansing did not survive the incident; however her fellow flight attendants persevered, rendering life-saving first aid in-flight as they planned for an emergency landing.

“On the eve of the anniversary of the heroism of C.B. Lansing and the Aloha crew, we honor our fellow flight attendants for their service to the flight attendant profession and once again reminding the public of our true mission,” said Friend.

AFA notes that the C .B. Lansing Award is not an annual presentation; rather it is "presented to a crew or crewmember who displays heroism beyond the call of duty."

There have been seven prior recipients of this honor in the history of AFA-CWA.

Latest FAA fine: $1.45 million civil penalty against Northwest Airlines

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed so many fines against carriers in the U.S. in recent weeks that I feel like I am writing the same story again and again. Last month American Eagle was fined for improper repairs; then earlier this month the FAA fined American Airlines for maintenance violations, and then followed up with a second round a week later.

But wait, there's more!

Yesterday the FAA proposed a $1.45 million civil penalty against Northwest Airlines for operating a number of Boeing B757 aircraft without proper windshield wiring inspections. Here's the story from the FAA:

A 1990 FAA airworthiness directive on Boeing 757s required inspections for the presence of undersized wires in the heating system for both the captain’s and first officer’s windows, and replacement if needed. Left uncorrected, the problem could cause overheating, smoking and possibly a fire.

Northwest wrote maintenance instructions for its mechanics in April 1990 that omitted the required inspection of the wires under the first officer’s window. As a result, 32 of the carrier’s 757s flew more than 90,000 passenger flights between December 1, 2005 and May 27, 2008, while not in compliance with the airworthiness directive.

“Safety is the number one priority for the Department of Transportation,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The FAA has airworthiness directives for a reason and carriers cannot pick and choose when they want to comply.”

On May 28, 2008, Northwest discovered it had not performed the proper inspections and revised its maintenance instructions. However, the instructions did not require the work be performed before further flight, but at the next planned overnight layover. As a result, 29 of the 32 aircraft flew 42 passenger-carrying flights while they were still out of compliance with the airworthiness directive.

“When an air carrier realizes that an airworthiness directive is not being followed the problem must be corrected immediately,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Safety cannot wait for the next scheduled maintenance.”

Makes you wonder who's next?

Northwest pilots who overflew destination settle with the FAA over license revocation

by B. N. Sullivan

The two Northwest Airlines A320 pilots who famously overflew their intended destination this past October have settled with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the agency's revocation of the pilots' licenses. In short, the pilots have dropped their appeal of the revocation. They will be permitted to re-apply for their licenses near the end of August, 2010.

For the benefit of readers who may have been living on a remote desert island for the past five months and who are thus unaware of the details of this drama, here is a synopsis of the story.

On October 21, 2009 Northwest Airlines Flight 188 was en route from San Diego to Minneapolis when radio contact with the aircraft, an Airbus A320, was lost. The aircraft, which was at cruise altitude, was a NORDO (no radio communications) for well over an hour, during which time it overflew its intended destination by more than 100 miles.

At some point, a flight attendant on board contacted the flight deck on an intercom regarding arrival time. According to an early National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report about the incident, neither pilot was aware of the aircraft's position at that time. When the flight attendant called, the pilots looked at their primary flight display and realized that they had passed Minneapolis, and were flying over Wisconsin. The pilots then made contact with Air Traffic Control and were vectored back to Minneapolis where they made a safe, albeit late, landing.

Despite early speculation that the pilots may have been napping, they told the NTSB that they had "lost situational awareness" because they were discussing a new crew scheduling system, and were going over the details on their personal laptop computers. They both said they "lost track of time." Shortly after that admission, the FAA summarily revoked both pilots' licenses. In December of 2009, the pilots announced that they would appeal the revocation, denying that they had "intentionally or willfully" violated any federal aviation regulations.

Yesterday the settlement between the pilots and the FAA was announced. The pilots' suspension by Delta Air Lines (which now owns Northwest Airlines) remains in force while the airline continues its own internal investigation of the incident.

Opinions about this incident among those in the aviation community have run the gamut. Many believe the pilots were unfairly vilified, saying that if the news media had not got hold of the story and sensationalized it, these pilots would have received a slap on the wrist and would still be flying -- especially since no one was hurt or killed, and no airplanes were damaged. At the other end of the spectrum are the less forgiving who believe that this was a serious and irresponsible violation, and that the pilots should never fly again.

Regardless, this slip-up by a pair of high-time, accomplished pilots due to distraction and inattention has cost them a lot -- financially and otherwise. Whether they are able to resume their airline piloting careers or not, the incident has changed their lives forever. If nothing else, it is a cautionary tale.

For the record, here are all of the articles I wrote about this incident here on Aircrew Buzz as events unfolded over time:

• Northwest pilots lose situational awareness, overfly destination - Oct. 22, 2009
• Northwest pilots who overflew Minneapolis tell NTSB they were engrossed, using laptops - Oct. 26, 2009
• FAA revokes licenses of Northwest Airlines 'laptop pilots' - Oct. 27, 2009
• Northwest Flight 188 incident: ATC audio and transcripts released by FAA - Nov. 27, 2009
• Northwest Flight 188 incident: Pilots' appeal documents - Dec. 10, 2009

UPDATE Mar. 18, 2010: Today the NTSB released its probable cause findings for the Northwest Flight 188 incident, along with corresponding safety recommendations arising from the investigation. Linkage:

• Incident/probable cause synopsis for NTSB ID: DCA10IA001
• Full narrative report for NTSB ID: DCA10IA001
• NTSB Safety Recommendations: Documentation of Air Traffic Control Communications - 7-page 'pdf' file

Northwest Flight 188 incident: Pilots' appeal documents

by B. N. Sullivan

Are you ready for another update on the Northwest Flight 188 incident? Readers will recall that shortly after the incident (in which the pilots of the Airbus A320 were out of radio contact with air traffic control for an extended period of time and overflew their destination while working on their laptop computers) the FAA revoked the licenses of both pilots. The pilots have since filed appeals seeking to have the license revocations rescinded.

Today a reader forwarded to me an email pass-around that included facsimile copies of the appeal documents as an attachment. Given that I have not seen the original documents, and considering that I received the copies via an email pass-around, I cannot guarantee that the copies are authentic, however they appear to be credible. I have uploaded them to my Web site, and anyone who is interested in having a look at them can access them there: NW Flight 188 Pilot Appeals (13-page 'pdf' file)

Highlights: The pilots deny that they "intentionally or willfully" violated any federal aviation regulations.

They appear to assign blame for the incident to air traffic control, stating:

The air traffic controller(s) did not comply with the requirements of the air traffic control manual and other relevant orders, rules, procedures, policies and practices with respect to Northwest Flight 188, nor coordinate effectively with Northwest dispatch, and such failure was a causal or contributing factor in the incident referenced in the Administrator's Complaint. Respondent asserts that he had a right to rely, and did rely, that the controllers would comply with all relevant orders, rules, procedures, policies and practices. Such reliance justifies a reduction, mitigation, or waiver of sanction.

The appeal goes on to claim that the sanction against them is "not in compliance with Board precedent and policy."

The pilots also claim that there were "mitigating facts and circumstances that caused or contributed to the incident, including but not limited to aircraft systems design and human factors, justifying a reduction, mitigation, or waiver of sanction."

Presumably both pilots will be able to present their case(s) in person at a hearing before the NTSB in the near future.

Northwest Flight 188 incident: ATC audio and transcripts released by FAA

by B. N. Sullivan

You may have read some news reports today about the FAA's release of air traffic control audio and transcripts related to the incident in October in which Northwest Airlines Flight 188 was NORDO for over an hour and overflew Minneapolis, its destination -- also known as the 'laptop pilots' incident. I'm on vacation this week, but thought I'd pop in to post the link to the FAA page where readers of Aircrew Buzz can find those audio files and the transcripts: FAA: Northwest Airlines Flight 188.

For a quick summary of the information contained in the recordings and transcripts, check out this article on FlightGlobal.com.

FAA revokes licenses of Northwest Airlines 'laptop pilots'

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew Minneapolis in an Airbus A320 after having been out of radio contact with the ground for a period of time. The incident happened on October 21, 2009 during a flight from San Diego to Minneapolis.

In a brief press release issued this morning, the FAA said, in part:

The pilots were out of contact with air traffic controllers for an extended period of time and told federal investigators that they were distracted by a conversation. Air traffic controllers and airline officials repeatedly tried to reach them through radio and data contact, without success.

The emergency revocations cite violations of a number of Federal Aviation Regulations. Those include failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

The revocations are effective immediately. The pilots have 10 days to appeal the emergency revocations to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Yesterday the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the pilots said in interviews that, during the flight, they had been using their personal laptop computers while discussing airline crew flight scheduling procedures, and that this had caused them to be distracted.

Delta Air Lines, which owns Northwest Airlines, indicated yesterday that "Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination."

UPDATE Nov. 5, 2009: The two pilots involved in the Northwestern Flight 188 incident have filed appeals with the NTSB regarding the revocation of their licenses. They now face a hearing before a judge within the next 120 days.

Northwest pilots who overflew Minneapolis tell NTSB they were engrossed, using laptops

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has just released a statement regarding its continuing investigation of the Northwest Airlines flight that overflew its destination last week after being out of radio contact with air traffic control for a period of time. The incident occurred on October 21, 2009. Northwest Airlines Flight 188, an Airbus A320, eventually resumed radio contact, turned around and landed safely -- albeit late -- at Minneapolis, its intended destination. The incident has garnered enormous media attention, so today's factual update from the NTSB is welcome.

Here is the actual text of today's NTSB advisory about Northwest Flight 188:

In its continuing investigation of an Airbus A320 that overflew the Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport (MSP), the National Transportation Safety Board has developed the following factual information:

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 5:56 pm mountain daylight time, an Airbus A320, operating as Northwest Airlines (NWA) flight 188, became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 feet. The flight was operating as a Part 121 flight from San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (SAN) to MSP with 144 passengers, 2 pilots and 3 flight attendants.

Both pilots were interviewed separately by NTSB investigators yesterday in Minnesota. The following is an overview of the interviews:

• The first officer and the captain were interviewed for over 5 hours combined.
• The Captain, 53 years old, was hired in 1985. His total flight time is about 20,000 hours, about 10,000 hours of A-320 time of which about 7,000 was as pilot in command.
• The First Officer, 54 years old, was hired in 1997. His total flight time is about 11,000 hours, and has about 5,000 hours on the A-320.
• Both pilots said they had never had an accident, incident or violation.
• Neither pilot reported any ongoing medical conditions.
• Both pilots stated that they were not fatigued. They were both commuters, but they had a 19-hour layover in San Diego just prior to the incident flight. Both said they did not fall asleep or doze during the flight.
• Both said there was no heated argument.
• Both stated there was a distraction in the cockpit. The pilots said there was a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls from ATC even though both stated they heard conversation on the radio. Also, neither pilot noticed
  messages that were sent by company dispatchers. They were discussing the new monthly crew flight scheduling system that was now in place as a result of the merger. The discussion began at cruise altitude.
• Both said they lost track of time.
• Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure. The first officer, who was more familiar with the procedure was providing instruction to the captain. The use of personal computers on the flight deck is prohibited by company policy.
• Neither pilot was aware of the airplane's position until a flight attendant called about 5 minutes before they were scheduled to land and asked what was their estimated time of arrival (ETA). The captain said, at that point, he looked at his primary flight display for an ETA and realized that they had passed MSP. They made contact with ATC and were given vectors back to MSP.
• At cruise altitude - the pilots stated they were using cockpit speakers to listen to radio communications, not their headsets.
• When asked by ATC what the problem was, they replied "just cockpit distraction" and "dealing with company issues".
• Both pilots said there are no procedures for the flight attendants to check on the pilots during flight.

The Safety Board is interviewing the flight attendants and other company personnel today. Air traffic control communications have been obtained and are being analyzed.

Preliminary data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) revealed the following:

• The CVR recording was 1/2 hour in length.
• The cockpit area microphone channel was not working during this recording. However, the crew's headset microphones recorded their conversations.
• The CVR recording began during final approach, and continued while the aircraft was at the gate.
• During the hours immediately following the incident flight, routine aircraft maintenance provided power to the CVR for a few minutes on several occasions, likely recording over several minutes of the flight.

The FDR captured the entire flight which contained several hundred aircraft parameters including the portion of flight where there was no radio communication from the flight crew. Investigators are examining the recorded parameters to see if any information regarding crew activity during the portion of flight where radio contact was lost can be obtained.

The Safety Board's investigation continues.

So, no sleeping, napping or nodding off; no claim of fatigue; no 'heated discussion' or argument -- just two well-rested, very experienced pilots losing situational awareness for an extended period of time because of crew scheduling issues? (Makes you wonder: Just how complex is that bidding system, anyway?)

This story just gets 'curioser and curioser' and leaves so many questions still unanswered. How did they miss the handoff from Denver Center to Minneapolis Center? How could they not have noticed any ACARS messages or SELCAL communications? And so on...

In any case, that's all of the official information for now, folks! Stay tuned for future developments.

UPDATE: Delta Air Lines (which now owns Northwest Airlines) made a public statement about the incident, saying that the two pilots "remain suspended until the conclusion of the investigations into this incident." Then came this elaboration:

Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination.

Probable translation: "Those two pilots are SO fired..."

Northwest pilots lose situational awareness, overfly destination

by B. N. Sullivan

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating an incident in which a Northwest Airlines A320 aircraft overflew its destination by approximately 150 miles. The two pilots attributed the incident to a loss of situational awareness due to engaging in a 'heated discussion', according to a press release issued by The NTSB.

From the NTSB:

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 5:56 pm mountain daylight time, an Airbus A320, N03274, operating as Northwest Airlines (NWA) flight 188, became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 feet.

The flight was operating as a Part 121 flight from San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (SAN) to MSP with 147 passengers and unknown number of crew.

At 7:58 pm central daylight time (CDT), the aircraft flew over the destination airport and continued northeast for approximately 150 miles. The MSP center controller reestablished communications with the crew at 8:14 pm and reportedly stated that the crew had become distracted and had overflown MSP, and requested to return to MSP.

According to the Federal Administration (FAA) the crew was interviewed by the FBI and airport police. The crew stated they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness. The Safety Board is scheduling an interview with the crew.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) have been secured and are being sent to the NTSB laboratory in Washington, DC.

An article about the incident on the Wall Street Journal Web site suggested that the incident was "a possible case of pilots nodding off at the controls." Presumably an analysis of the CVR contents will clear up whether the pilots were indeed arguing, or whether the cockpit was silent during the period of no radio contact.

UPDATE: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has issued a statement about actions they took regarding the "unresponsive aircraft".

Fighters from two North American Aerospace Defense Command sites were put on alert yesterday for a Northwest Airlines commercial airliner that was not responding to radio calls from the Federal Aviation Administration. Before the fighters could get airborne, FAA re-established communications with the pilots of the Northwest Airlines commercial airliner and subsequently, the NORAD fighters were ordered to stand down. NORAD does not discuss locations of alerts sites.

UPDATE Oct. 23, 2009: This could be bad news for the investigation of this incident: A new NTSB press release mentions, "The 30 minute solid-state Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured a portion of the flight that is being analyzed." If the portion of the flight that the CVR captured is the final 30 minutes, it may not be able to resolve what was happening on the flight deck (and what was not) during the period of radio silence.

---

Related:

• Northwest pilots who overflew Minneapolis tell NTSB they were engrossed, using laptops - AircrewBuzz.com, Oct. 26, 2009
• FAA revokes licenses of Northwest Airlines 'laptop pilots' - AircrewBuzz.com, Oct. 27, 2009
• Northwest Flight 188 incident: ATC audio and transcripts released by FAA - AircrewBuzz.com, Nov. 27, 2009
• Northwest Flight 188 incident: Pilots' appeal documents - AircrewBuzz.com, Dec. 10, 2009

NTSB investigating two recent Airbus A330 'speed and altitude indication anomalies'

by B. N. Sullivan

The afternoon, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an advisory announcing the investigation of "two recent incidents in which airspeed and altitude indications in the cockpits of Airbus A-330 aircraft may have malfunctioned."

The NTSB advisory describes the incidents as follows:

The first incident occurred May 21, 2009, when TAM Airlines flight 8091 (Brazilian registration PT-MVB) flying from Miami, Florida to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in cruise flight. Initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in indicated outside air temperature, followed by the loss of the Air Data Reference System and disconnections of the autopilot and autothrust, along with the loss of speed and altitude information. The flight crew used backup instruments and primary data was restored in about 5 minutes. The flight landed at Sao Paulo with no further incident and there were no injuries and damage.

The Safety Board has become aware of another possibly similar incident that occurred on June 23 on a Northwest Airlines A-330 (registration unknown) flying between Hong Kong and Tokyo. The aircraft landed safely in Tokyo; no injuries or damage was reported. Data recorder information, Aircraft Condition Monitoring System messages, crew statements and weather information are being collected by NTSB investigators.

Further information on both incidents will be released when it becomes available.

For what it's worth, a chilling story about a Delta (i.e., Northwest) A330-300 incident has appeared on several aviation message boards over the past day or two. I tend to view undocumented stories on message boards with some skepticism, and as regular readers of Aircrew Buzz know, I am not inclined to report rumors. But I must admit that when today's NTSB advisory showed up in my email inbox my first response was to revisit one of the message boards where I had seen the Delta A330 story to see if my memory of what I had read was correct.

The story described a marked drop in indicated outside air temperature, the loss of airspeed and altitude information, and the sudden disengagement of the autopilot and autothrust. The failure was said to have lasted about three minutes. The details of the story (aircraft type, carrier, route, date) did indeed match those in the above NTSB advisory. The source of the message board story is purported to be a crew member from the flight in question.

Fortunately that story had a favorable outcome, as did the TAM flight mentioned in the NTSB advisory. One cannot help but wonder if indeed something similar happened to Air France Flight 447, but with a different and hugely tragic outcome.

Let's hope that the NTSB, the French BEA, and other agencies will be able to get to the bottom of these apparently similar incidents before we have another occurrence that is irrecoverable.

Turbulence injures Northwest flight attendant and several passengers

Eight passengers and one flight attendant were injured aboard a Northwest Airlines A330-300 aircraft that encountered turbulence above the Pacific Ocean, near Midway Island, earlier today. Four of the injured required medical treatment, including the flight attendant, who was hospitalized.

The incident occurred while Northwest Flight 22 was en route from Tokyo-Narita International Airport to Honolulu. When the aircraft arrived at Honolulu International Airport just after 08:00 AM local time this morning, January 22, 2009, a flight attendant who had suffered head and neck injuries was taken to a hospital, where she remains. Her condition is described as serious but stable, according to spokeswoman for the Hawaii Department of Transportation, quoted in media reports from Honolulu.

One passenger with a hip injury and another with arm and neck injuries were taken to a Honolulu hospital for treatment. A third passenger's injuries were treated at the airport. Five more passengers sustained minor injuries, such as bumps and bruises, that did not require medical attention.

[Photo Source]

How to Paint a Boeing 747-400 in Three Minutes

Last month we all got an initial glimpse the first Boeing 747-400 in Delta Air Lines livery. The aircraft had been a part of the Northwest Airlines fleet, prior to that airline's merger with Delta.

Now Delta Air Lines has released a terrific time-lapse video showing the process of converting the aircraft's Northwest livery to Delta colors -- going from primer to pre-departure in just three minutes. Here it is:



If the video does not display or play properly above, click here to view it on YouTube. The video also is posted on the Delta Air Lines blog, which was where I first saw it.

Ramp Crew Blamed for Northwest Airlines DC-9 Cabin Decompression Accident

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that contract ramp personnel from Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation at Syracuse Hancock Airport were to blame for damaging the fuselage of a Northwest Airlines DC-9 aircraft in May of 2007, and that the damage to the aircraft in turn caused the cabin of a the DC-9 to depressurize in flight.

The probable cause report [NTSB ID: NYC07LA121] says:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The senior ground agent's failure to follow written procedures and directives.

Accident Details

On May 18, 2007, the aircraft, operating as Northwest Flight 1411, was climbing after departure from Syracuse (SYR) when the cabin depressurized. The aircraft (registration N1799U), which had been en route to Detroit, was diverted to Buffalo where it made a safe emergency landing. There were no injuries among the four crew members and 95 passengers on board, but significant damage to the aircraft was discovered after landing.

According to the NTSB:

Postflight inspection of the accident airplane by an FAA inspector revealed a 12-inch by 5-inch fuselage skin tear, approximately 6 feet forward of the forward cargo door on the right side of the airplane. Further inspection revealed that a crease in the skin of the fuselage existed forward of the tear, consistent with the skin being damaged by a foreign object.

So, how did this happen?

The NTSB report explains:

According to the NWA station manager and AWAC ground agents, at some point during the aircraft luggage off-loading or loading process in SYR, the engine of the belt loader quit operating. Three of the contractor’s ground agents attempted to manually push the belt loader away from the aircraft but were unable to do so. The senior of the three decided to use a luggage tug to push the belt loader away from the airplane by entering the “Safety Diamond/Zone” with the luggage tug from the front right-hand side of the airplane, close to, and parallel with the fuselage. The front left bumper of the tug was then positioned on the right front corner of the belt loader, and at some point during or immediately after pushing the belt loader away from the airplane, the upper right-hand side of the tug’s cab contacted the fuselage. The senior ground agent then advised “don’t say anything” to one of the other ground agents who was working the flight with him.

The NTSB report dryly notes that "the senior ground agent’s actions were contrary to published guidance in the company’s training handbook and operation manual."

Good grief! Letting that aircraft depart without a careful inspection after being hit by the tug was irresponsible, bordering on criminal. This thoughtless instance of CYA clearly put the lives of 99 people in jeopardy -- an unconscionable act, in my humble opinion.

If you would like to read the NTSB probable cause report for this accident, here are the links: NTSB Identification: NYC07LA121 - Summary and Full Narrative

[Photo Source]

Northwest Airlines Flight Attendants to Testify on Delta-Northwest Merger Effects

Tomorrow, November 13, 2008, Northwest Airlines flight attendants will testify before the Metropolitan Affairs Committee for the State of Minnesota and Representative Debra Hilstom.  The Committee is investigating how the merger of Northwest Airlines with Delta Air Lines will impact the contracts the state has with the carrier.  The Northwest flight attendants, represented by he Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), will testify at the hearing alongside union representatives of other work groups at Northwest.

Northwest Airlines flight attendants have been concerned about the loss of union representation ever since the plans to merge Northwest and Delta were first announced.  In a statement about the upcoming hearings in Minnesota, Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President, said, "We applaud the state of Minnesota on their continued commitment to evaluating the potential consequences of the merger on the state and citizens of the state.  This merger has the potential to break the long standing commitments with Minnesota that has enabled Northwest Airlines to become a viable and successful merger partner, and it also threatens to break Northwest flight attendants’ contract and eliminate the union and destroy over 60 years of collective bargaining rights."

Delta Air Lines flight attendants have never had union representation.  Now that the merger is official, the combined the Delta-Northwest flight attendant group must vote to become members of AFA-CWA. According to the rules of the National Mediation Board (NMB), which oversees such representational elections, if less than 50 percent of Delta and Northwest flight attendants participate in the election, the NMB will declare that vote invalid and Northwest flight attendants will lose their contract.

UPDATE Nov. 14, 2008:  The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) issued a media release about Northwest flight attendants testimony before the State of Minnesota Metropolitan Affairs Committee yesterday.

Excerpt:

“We are very concerned that this merger can be used as an opportunity to break Northwest flight attendants’ contract, eliminate our union and destroy our collective bargaining rights,” said Rene Foss, an AFA-CWA Northwest flight attendant. “Without the protections of our collective bargaining rights, it is likely that management will drive down wages, benefits, work rules and eliminate jobs altogether.”

Due to archaic National Mediation Board (NMB) guidelines, because Delta flight attendants are not represented, the combined work group must vote to become members of AFA-CWA. If less than 50 percent of Delta and Northwest flight attendants participate in the election, the NMB will declare that vote invalid and Northwest flight attendants will lose their contract.

“As Delta and Northwest flight attendants prepare for an AFA-CWA representation vote, it is imperative that Delta management remain neutral in this election. If they are successful in keeping the ‘new Delta’ non union, we could see this merger as the beginning of the end of good jobs in the airline industry, the state of Minnesota and our country as a whole,” said Foss.

Delta management recently began their campaign to pit the flight attendants at both carriers against each other by informing non-union Delta flight attendants that they would be receiving a raise unlike their Northwest colleagues. AFA-CWA leadership quickly responded to the announcement by informing Delta management that the Northwest flight attendant contract does not exclude raises and encouraged management to meet with AFA-CWA leaders.

A Little Northwest Airlines Nostalgia

The anticipated merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines became a fact late last week. Integration of the two carriers into the 'new Delta' will be a complex process, but it is already underway. Eventually all of Northwest's crews will wear Delta uniforms, and Northwest aircraft will sport Delta livery, signaling the end of one era, and the beginning of the next.

Best wishes to everyone at both airlines during the transition period and beyond. Here is a video tribute that provides a nostalgic look at Northwest Airlines and its aircraft.



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to kicker943 for posting the video to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

The Delta-Northwest Merger is a Done Deal

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced their merger plans last April, and several days ago anti-trust regulators at the U.S. Department of Justice signed off on the deal. With that, Northwest Airlines is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta. The merged airline, called Delta and headquartered in Atlanta, has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide. According to a Delta press release about the merger, the company "will distribute an equity stake to substantially all U.S.-based employees with international employees participating through cash payments in lieu of stock."

Delta's management has promised "that no frontline employees will be involuntarily furloughed as a result of the merger and that no hubs will be closed," and that they have "implemented a seniority protection policy that ensures that frontline employees of both airlines will be provided seniority protection through a fair-and-equitable process."

The two pilot groups have a single collective bargaining agreement with Delta. It remains to be seen whether or not the 21,000 flight attendants of the merged airline will ultimately have union representation. Northwest's flight attendants are unionized, while Delta's have not had a union.

Integrating the two work forces is already underway. I understand that Northwest crews are being fitted for their Delta uniforms, and that pilots, flight attendants, and customer service agents will begin wearing them on March 30, 2009.

Best wishes to everyone at the new Delta as they go through the process of integrating their operations. Here is a video tribute to the Delta-Northwest merger.



If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Tip of the hat to stejensen for posting the video to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

Delta and Northwest Airlines flight attendants campaign for joint union

The merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines is expected to go forward by the end of this year, or by early 2009 at latest. When that happens, the issue of union representation for the combined airline's flight attendants will have to be addressed.

Flight attendants at Delta Air Lines have never been represented by a collective bargaining unit. Northwest Airlines flight attendants currently are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA).

Earlier this year, there was an unsuccessful attempt to have AFA certified as the official collective bargaining unit for Delta's flight attendants. At that time, only 40% of eligible Delta flight attendants voted in the certification election. Even though a majority of those who voted cast ballots in favor of joining AFA, the election could not be certified because the turnout was lower than required by law. The union subsequently filed charges against Delta, alleging that the airline's management illegally interfered with the union representation election.

In the run-up to the merger, Northwest AFA union leaders are working to ensure that their right to bargain collectively with Delta management is retained through the merger process. The union also is continuing its effort to bring the protections afforded by a union contract to Delta flight attendants. To this end, a committee comprised of flight attendants from both Northwest and Delta has been formed to campaign for and organize AFA representation for the Delta and Northwest combined flight attendant group, post-merger.

The flight attendants' committee has developed an informational website in support of their campaign. The Delta and Northwest Flight Attendants' website, Two Traditions, One Global Airline, is worth a visit. It offers Videos, Webcasts, and clear explanations of flight attendants' legal rights regarding union representation.

Should the flight attendants of the "New Delta" succeed in their bid for union representation, they would become the largest unionized group of flight attendants in the country.

2,500 jobs to be cut at Northwest Airlines

Northwest Airlines is the latest U.S. carrier to announce impending job cuts in conjunction with a capacity reduction. Yesterday the airline said it will reduce its frontline and management employees by 2,500 in the coming months. That number represents 8% of Northwest's total work force.

Last month Northwest announced plans to reduce its system mainline capacity (domestic and international) in the fourth quarter of 2008 by 8.5% - 9.5% compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. In a news release issued yesterday, Northwest said that the reduction in personnel is a result of these flight reductions, and that all employee groups at the airline will see some job cuts.

In order to accomplish the work force reduction, Northwest plans to initiate a variety of voluntary measures including early-out programs, voluntary leaves, and work rule modifications. Should voluntary measures fail to achieve the targeted number of job cuts, some employees will be furloughed involuntarily.

Doug Steenland, President and CEO of Northwest Airlines, said "These reductions are the direct result of our extraordinary fuel costs and the necessary actions we must take to right-size our airline and eliminate unprofitable flying."

Delta and Northwest pilots reach pre-merger agreement

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has announced that the pilots at Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have reached a tentative agreement (TA) with Delta management on a joint pilot contract, necessary for a successful merger of the two carriers. ALPA represents both pilot groups.

In an ALPA press release, the union described the TA as "the first important step in the process of combining two pilot groups with long, proud histories, into the largest unified pilot group in the world." Details of the TA were not released at this time.

Delta Air Lines confirmed that a tentative agreement had been reached with the two pilot groups "on a joint contract to take effect upon closing of the Delta-Northwest merger, expected later this year." Delta CEO Richard Anderson said:

"We are pleased that the Delta and Northwest pilot groups have reached a tentative agreement and have outlined a process for seniority integration that will allow us to move forward with a unified pilot group. Achieving a joint contract and combined seniority list in advance of the closing of the merger is something that has never been done in this industry and is a testament to the leadership of ALPA and a working together culture."

The culmination of intensive negotiations, the TA now will be presented to the ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC) of each of the pilot groups to be considered for ratification. After review and ratification by each MEC, the agreement will need to be ratified by the membership of both pilot groups.

Delta says that the pilot groups also have established a separate process designed to establish a single pilot seniority list by the close of the merger.

Northwest Airlines Boeing 757 loses wing panel in flight

A panel separated from the right wing of a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200 yesterday while the aircraft was in flight. The incident happened on May 12, 2008, while the aircraft, operating as Northwest Flight NWA 322, was en route from Los Angeles to Detroit. The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Las Vegas, where the aircraft landed safely. No one was injured.

According to a preliminary report about the incident on the FAA website, the separation of the panel, which measured about 2 feet by 3 feet, caused a "hydraulic issue." After separating from the wing, the panel hit the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer.

This incident is reminiscent of another that happened in March of this year, when a wing panel separated from a US Airways Boeing 757-200 while the aircraft was flying over Maryland. A month later, the NTSB cited metal fatigue as the cause of that incident. In its factual report on the US Airways incident, the NTSB mentioned that US Airways "had inspected the wing panels on all of its 757s and found problems with wing panel fasteners on several other aircraft, which were since repaired and returned to service." The NTSB also said that they were "continuing to evaluate the design, installation, inspection and maintenance of the failed components to determine the cause of the failure and the impact on the 757 fleet."

Was yesterday's Northwest incident related? Maybe -- or maybe not -- but it does make you wonder...

New Global Airline: The Delta-Northwest Merger

Late yesterday, officials at Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines formally announced plans to merge the two carriers into one mega-airline. The combined airline will be called Delta, and will be headquartered in Atlanta. Once the merger is complete, the new Delta will be the world's largest carrier, with about 75,000 employees.

A special website has been created (http://www.newglobalairline.com/) to explain to the public the benefits of what the combined management now refers to as America's Premier Global Airline. The website asks the public to "help bring greater opportunity to our employees, enhanced service to our customers, and expanded global access and economic growth to the communities we serve by letting your voice be heard." Among other things, customers are asked to contact their elected officials to "let them know that you are in favor of this airline merger and that we need their support."

Another page on the website explains how the merger is a win for employees. In support of this position, the web page explains:

As a result of this transaction, the seniority of our people is protected; the existing pension plans of our employees and retirees are maintained; the network is expanded; our plans for international growth are strengthened and accelerated; and, most importantly, there is even greater job security with more career opportunities for the people of Delta and Northwest.

The statement goes on to offer the following commitments to the employees of Delta and Northwest:

• Non-pilot employees of Delta and Northwest will participate in the benefits of the combined airline by receiving a 4 percent equity stake in the new company upon closing. The stock will be allocated based upon relative payrolls of the companies and your individual earnings. International employees will receive a cash payment, in lieu of stock.
• There will be no involuntary furloughs of U.S.-based frontline employees or hub closures as a result of this transaction.
• Delta and Northwest employees will enjoy reciprocal pass privileges on both airlines’ worldwide networks, beginning as soon as possible during the regulatory review process.
• Delta pilots will participate in the benefits of the combined airline through a new four-year agreement that facilitates the integration of the carriers and realization of the combined revenue synergies. With respect to Northwest pilots, Delta has committed to use its best efforts to reach a combined Delta-Northwest pilot agreement, including resolution of pilot seniority integration, prior to the closing of the merger.

That last item reflects the Northwest pilots' opposition to the merger plans. In a letter to the membership of the Northwest pilots' union, the chairman of the Northwest Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said yesterday that "a merger with Delta may no longer be in the best interests of all Northwest stakeholders, including the Northwest pilot group." At issue is pilot seniority integration. Since the pilot seniority issue was not resolved prior to the merger announcement, the Northwest pilots' union intends to try and stop the merger from going forward.