Polar pilots meeting
Polar Pilots Meet With Management
Striking Polar Air Cargo pilots and management are meeting Friday at National Mediation Board headquarters in Washington, D.C. to explore the potential for progress in the stalled contract talks.
There was no particular breakthrough or reason given for the meeting, which comes about three weeks after the crewmembers struck the cargo carrier.
"Both sides thought they'd see if they wanted to talk and could make any headway," said Rob Lovas, spokesman for Air Line Pilots Association, which represents the Polar crewmembers.
Pilots at the 747 scheduled all-cargo airline walked off their jobs Sept. 16 after failing to reach a contract agreement before the end of the 30-day cooling off period, capping an increasingly contentious contract negotiation.
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Polar's parent company says it has no plans to shut down the freight airline but isn't ruling out ceasing operations.
"That is not something that we want to do, but we need to protect our business and we have to keep our options open at this point depending upon what the duration of the strike is," said Alan Caminiti, spokesman for AAWH.
"With each passing day the ability to restart of the scheduled network" quickly is becoming more difficult, he said, adding, "We would really like to see the strike end quickly for everybody's sake."
AAWH, parent of Polar and Atlas Air, has re-deployed Polar aircraft, shifting at least three to Atlas' wet lease operations and placing two up for sale or lease, while seven remain grounded.