JetBlue pilots to focus on standalone contract after merger turbulence

JetBlue pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association union (ALPA), will renew their focus on negotiating a standalone contract with the airline following the uncertainty surrounding the company’s M&A with Spirit Airlines. The pilots had previously focused on negotiating a joint collective bargaining agreement for a combined JetBlue-Spirit pilot group. When the merger had been initially proposed, pilots had proposed a short-term extension over a full-comprehensive contract. With the merger, JetBlue pilots had anticipated a join collective bargaining agreement post-merger. ALPA chair of JetBlue unit Justin Houck said: “However, the court decision in January has altered the landscape significantly.