Analysts expect United to benefit from labour problems at American Airlines

Although 2012 has been below expectations for United Continental (UAL), the labour troubles at American Airlines stand to help its rival claw back market share. American has been suffering from labour problems as it attempts to restructure under bankruptcy protection. A bankruptcy court judge allowed the airline to cancel its pilot contract earlier this month, forcing many pilots to call in sick and an abnormally high number of maintenance requests have also been submitted. Although the union denies this is a “sickout”, the pilots’ actions have forced American to cancel as much as 5% of its scheduled flights on some