APA News Digest

May 23, 2025

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In This Edition ...

Memorial Day 2025

This is a new message from APA President FO Nick Silva.

Our nation will observe Memorial Day on Monday to mourn and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in uniform. 

Memorial Day’s origins date back to 1868 during the aftermath of the Civil War. The Grand Army of the Republic, a Union veterans’ organization, declared May 30 a Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, to honor the country’s recently fallen soldiers and adorn their graves with flowers. It has been an official national holiday since 1971 when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act became law.

Memorial Day serves as a solemn reminder that freedom is never free. The freedoms we often take for granted will always depend upon the willingness of the men and women of our nation’s armed forces to risk all in their defense.

There are fellow American Airlines pilots on active duty serving in harm’s way right now. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers not just today, but every day.

We are forever grateful.

In Unity,

FO Nick Silva
APA President

APA Holiday Schedule

APA headquarters, including Contract Administration, will be closed on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day. Contract Administration will be open from 0700 to 1900 Central on Saturday and Sunday.

As always, your APA support team remains available 24/7. When Contract Administration is closed, calls will be forwarded to a phone service operated by Contract Compliance Committee and Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers. Please note that call-back times may be longer than normal due to limited staffing. If your call is not urgent, we encourage you to wait until normal business hours resume.

You may also want to consult the pilot volunteers on your domicile’s Contract Compliance Committee. Almost every domicile has one, and some of them have larger rosters than the national committee. Contact your local committee by visiting your domicile’s page on AlliedPilots.org and clicking the “Domicile Committee List” link.

To reach a contract administrator, call APA HQ at 1-800-323-1470 and press Option 3. If you prefer to e-mail your question to the contract administrators, click here. For specific FAR 117/fatigue issues requiring immediate attention, you can also call the Emergency Help Line at 682-738-6670 manned 24/7 by Flight Time/Duty Time Committee volunteers.

Positive Rate Episode 53: Military Affairs

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Membership Committee Deputy Chair-Military Affairs Subcommittee CA Chris Krahulec and subcommittee member CA Josh Daneault about APA’s support of its military pilots. The subcommittee’s primary areas of focus: educate military pilots on their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA); promote USERRA compliance by all parties, while ensuring adoption of any future changes in the statutes; ensure military members have the tools to properly interface with American Airlines on company requirements; and coordinate with the military affairs arms of other air carriers to address national issues. APA Military Affairs maintains a comprehensive, searchable manual on AlliedPilots.org for our military pilots.

Each episode of “Positive Rate” features APA subject-matter experts working on the membership’s behalf. The podcast is available through popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can search for “Positive Rate” or “Allied Pilots Association” on your platform of choice to subscribe and download. Your first opportunity to listen will be via AlliedPilots.org/Podcasts.

Voting for APA Secretary-Treasurer Ends Soon

Runoff Round voting for APA Secretary-Treasurer will close at 0001 Central on May 29, and ballots will be tallied that day. Resumes for the candidates may be found here: Candidate Information.

Each eligible pilot should have received a notice in the mail containing a unique Voting PIN and voting instructions for the National Officers Election. It is important that you retain this letter, as you will need the same Voting PIN for all rounds of an election.

You should have also received your Voting PIN and voting instructions via an email from APA’s elections vendor, Sequent. To ensure you receive your voting credentials, please verify your contact information via the Member Update page on AlliedPilots.org.

The ballots for the National Officers Election are found at this website: https://apa-national.sequent.vote

If you did not receive or misplaced your Voting PIN, did not receive a mail ballot, and/or are experiencing difficulties casting your ballot, please call the Voting Support Call Center at 888-454-3230.

To verify your identity, the call center will ask you for your unique APA Unique Identifier Code. Your APA Identifier Code can be found at the bottom of the Member Update page on AlliedPilots.org.

Any voter who is unable to vote electronically, or would prefer to vote by mail, can request a mail ballot by visiting this website: https://electiontrust.com/apaoff. Alternatively, you may request a mail ballot by calling 888-454-3230. If you request a mail ballot in one round of the election, you will receive a mail ballot for all subsequent election rounds. Requesting a mail ballot does not preclude you from voting electronically. However, if you submit both an electronic and a mail ballot, only the electronic ballot will be counted.

The Voting Support Call Center is staffed by APA’s election vendor from 0900 to 1700 Central on every day of the voting period for each round of the election. On the last full day of each round, the call center will remain open until 2200 Central. You may direct any additional questions to APA’s Election Coordinator, Kathy Lazenby, at 817-302-2175, or at elections@alliedpilots.org, between 0800 and 1600 Central on weekdays.

Dues Holiday Begins With June Flying

On May 8, the APA Board of Directors approved R2025-05 Rev 5, APA-ALPA Merger Negotiation Committee. This resolution included a “dues holiday” provision stipulating a moratorium on the collection of APA membership dues.

The dues holiday will begin with July 2025 paychecks (pay for June flying), i.e., dues will not be collected from July 2025 paychecks. Dues will be collected from June 2025 paychecks (pay for May flying).

The dues holiday does not have a confirmed end date. The dues holiday will continue until one of the following events occurs:

  • The APA-ALPA Merger Negotiation Committee decides it cannot come to an agreement on merger terms with ALPA.
  • The committee presents a proposed tentative merger agreement to the APA Board of Directors, but the Board does not approve it for submission to the membership.
  • The pilot group votes on a tentative merger agreement.
  • The APA reserves are depleted to an amount of $50 million.

Concourse Conversations – Face to Face and Up to Date

The National Communications Network (NCN), the LGA Domicile Officers, and the MIA Domicile Officers hosted Concourse Conversations this week at JFK, LGA, and MIA. Thanks to all the pilots who stopped by and engaged with your elected representatives.

As APA accelerates preparations for the next round of Section 6 bargaining, NCN will play an increasingly important role in helping to ensure APA has an accurate understanding of member preferences and priorities, serving as an information link between our pilots and the negotiating team. Please consider signing up today to serve as an NCN volunteer.

APA Benefits – Ready to Take Your Call

So far this year, the APA Benefits Department has responded to nearly 8,000 phone calls from members and has also replied to several thousand emails. Whenever you have a question about your company-provided benefits, the APA-sponsored benefits, or using APA’s Benefit Elect online enrollment system (which is available 24/7), the Benefits Department stands ready to help. Simply call 817-302-2140 between 0800 and 1700 Central Monday through Friday, or email benefits.sec@alliedpilots.org.

Help Us Help You!!!

  • Are your dependents current?
  • Are your physical and email addresses current?
  • Are your beneficiaries current?
  • For retirees and surviving spouses, have you provided your Medicare Number (every person with Medicare receives a randomly generated, 11-character alpha/numeric identifier) and Part D information so claims process properly?

“Super Catch-Up” Contributions

This is a new message from the APA Retirement & Benefits Committee.

Earlier this year, we referenced the SECURE 2.0 Act provision called a “super catch-up” contribution, which allows individuals ages 60 to 63 to make larger catch-up contributions to their retirement plans. For 2025, the super catch-up contribution limit is $11,250. The catch-up limit for pilots ages 50 or older is normally $7,500; however, pilots ages 60 to 63 now have the opportunity to “catch up” to the higher $11,250 limit.

American Airlines initially did not incorporate this exception into the Pilot 401(k) Plan, but APA aggressively pursued the implementation of the “super catch-up” provision. We appreciate the Company’s willingness to reverse their initial decision.

The Company sent targeted messages to affected pilots on April 30. In case you cannot find this email in your aa.com account, we have provided copies here.

General information from the Retirement & Benefits Committee on various Internal Revenue Code regulatory limits affecting pilots’ 401(k) plans was published earlier this year and remains available for review.

2025 Internal Revenue Code Limits

APA understands this important provision allows pilots who are closer to mandatory retirement to accelerate savings. We are grateful for the many pilot volunteers and APA employees who worked toward inclusion of this provision into the Plan.

Overage and Pop-Up Market Hotels for June

This is a new message from the APA Hotel Committee.

Below is the list of hotels that will be utilized in June for overages and pop-up markets. If you are scheduled to stay at one of these properties, we recommend you review our article about non-contracted hotels.

  • AMS: The Hague
  • BNA: Hampton Inn Nashville/Vanderbilt
  • DTW: Detroit Marriott Livonia
  • HSV: The Element
  • LBB: The Overton
  • ONT: Doubletree AP
  • ORF: Doubletree AP
  • PIT: Cambria Suites Downtown and Embassy Suites Downtown
  • SAN: The Sophia
  • SAV: AC Historic Downtown SAV
  • SDF: The Brown
  • UVF: Marigot Bay
  • YUL: Residence Inn Montreal Airport

For more information, check out the QRH – Quick Reference Hotels document. This resource answers 99 percent of all hotel, transportation, and layover questions while providing helpful solutions. Suggestion: Download this QRH document to your AA iPad for easy access in the future.

President Meets With NTSB Chair

This is a new message from the APA Government Affairs Committee.

APA President FO Nick Silva and Government Affairs Committee Chair FO Brian Bell met with Jennifer Homendy, National Transportation Safety Board Chair, this week in Washington, D.C., as part of ensuring effective collaboration between APA and key aviation industry stakeholders.

APA Helps Provides Labor’s Perspective

This is a new message from the APA Investor Relations Committee.

APA President FO Nick Silva participated in a panel discussion on Thursday during the Wolfe Research Global Transportation and Industrials Conference in New York, along with ALPA President CA Jason Ambrosi and SWAPA 2nd Vice President CA Hank Ketchum. With Wolfe Research transportation analyst Scott Group moderating, the panel addressed aviation safety, infrastructure modernization, and labor’s perspective on the state of the industry.

APA Takes Ramp Safety Message to D.C.

This is a new message from the APA Safety Committee.

CA Gavin Tade, a member of the Safety Committee’s Safety Operations Subcommittee, spoke at last week’s FAA Ramp Worker Safety Forum in Washington, D.C. The forum focused on mitigating ramp hazards, including jet blast and engine ingestion.

Through its Ramp Rides initiative, the Safety Operations Subcommittee has been collaborating with our ground worker colleagues at airports across the system in recent months to reduce tow bar breakage and increase safety in ground operations. This initiative emphasizes the need for strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures and clear, concise communications.

APA Members Elected to OCCC Leadership

This is a new message from the APA International Alliance Committee.

CA Ken Johnson, FO Maria Sweeney, CA Shawn Gray, and CA John Sluys

Two APA members are among the pilots recently elected to leadership positions in the Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition (OCCC).

APA International Alliance Committee Chair CA Shawn Gray is the OCCC’s new Vice President, and APA Government Affairs Committee member CA Ken Johnson was elected Treasurer. They will serve alongside President CA John Sluys, who flies for Alaska Airlines, and Secretary FO Maria Sweeney, who is a pilot for Aer Lingus.

You can read more on the OCCC website.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On May 20, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following new hire pilots: William Abazis, John Adams, Erikas Bagdonavicius, Isaac Beja, Emmanuel Bezi, Michael Carpenter Jr., Yudis Coreas, Eugene Croft, James Cubbage, Isidro Del Toro Sanchez III, Graham Easterwood, Clyde Eom, Clifford Erli, Ryan Fawcett, Thomas Fields, Mathew Fisher, Benjamin Gaertner, Lucas Gehauf, Gary Good, Ehric Haggard, Joshua Harris, Donald Haskins, Matthew Hinman, Daniel James, Mychael Jarvis, Kyle Kawczynski, Andrew Kelly, Stephen Le Blanc, Katherine Miller, Matt Moore, Elvis Olmeda Perez, Matthew Pontious, Andrew Simon, Donnie Sox, Leoncio Villarejo Ruiz, Maxim Voronin, and Kyle Zimmerman.

APA Welcomes Leadership Class

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On May 21, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following pilots who were in Fort Worth for American Airlines’ Professionalism, Leadership, and Mentoring class: Walt Baez, Shane Barber, Robb Burbach, Johnny Cummings IV, Jay Hencken, Timothy Killham, Erik Knauff, Jeffrey Kollin, Lee Liu, Robert Midgley, Mark Neiger, and Philip Tully.

APA Medical Minute – DUI Reporting Requirements

In the latest APA Medical Minute, APA attorney Ray Duke – who serves as Director of Safety-Training-Security-Aeromedical-Professional Standards – details the reporting requirements triggered by a driving under the influence (DUI) event.

You can watch previous Medical Minute videos on APA’s YouTube channel.

APA Contract Minute – Expenses Away From Base

In this encore edition of the APA Contract Minute, CA Jason Saxer discusses Section 7.A, which provides lodging at a short-layover hotel to pilots who are scheduled, rescheduled, or reassigned to a sit period in excess of more than four hours.

News Media Remains Focused on EWR Issues

APA continues to be a resource for media outlets covering the issues at EWR. During an interview on CNBC this week, APA spokesperson CA Dennis Tajer explained why the issues at that airport should concern passengers nationwide: “Newark is the earthquake epicenter, and anything that happens there, the tsunami wave just can ripple through the country.”

CA Tajer was also featured in an Associated Press article about how aviation remains safe even when air traffic controllers lose contact with pilots: “It’s not to downplay the seriousness of communication failure or radar outages, but it’s to recognize that we have procedures, we trained to those procedures, and we have additional equipment that can only enhance the safety margin while we deal with that scenario,” he said.

Domicile Events

a group of pilots in matching golf gear

Click the image for a closer look.

The Pilots for Kids DFW Golf Tournament was held on May 19 at Lantana Golf Club. With APA’s support, Pilots for Kids DFW raised enough money to purchase all the gifts needed for the organization’s four hospital visits this year.

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee (2)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • Retirement and Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Training Committee (0)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Agency Fee Policy for Fiscal 2026

APA recently published its fiscal year 2026 agency fee policy. Agency fee payers are non-management pilots employed by American Airlines who elect not to become members of APA. Non-member pilots are required by Section 25 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to pay a monthly service charge to APA for the administration of the CBA and representation of the pilot. These service charges are called “agency fees” and are equal to the dues amount paid by a member. Fiscal year 2026 runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. APA encourages all non-members to join (or rejoin) APA. As a pilot group, we achieved significant gains in the 2023 CBA. This last year saw continuing pay rate increases and implementation efforts. The coming fiscal year will see additional improvements, including another pay rate increase, an increase to the 401(k) employer contribution, and implementation of improved work rules. The collective bargaining and representational interests of AA pilots are best served by having a strong association capable of defending pilots’ interests in a range of national and international arenas affecting aviation and the airline industry.

Professional Standards FAQs

Since the program is voluntary, can a person choose not to be a part of the program?
The Professional Standards Program is completely voluntary. If you are approached by a committee volunteer, it is your choice whether to participate. However, please remember the choice to not participate may lead to the company resolving the issue at their sole discretion.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee. Our next cruise, a nine-night excursion across the southern Caribbean, launches Oct. 9.

Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Seminar are scheduled for June 13 and June 14 at CLT. Click here for more information.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

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