I’m sure all of you have seen the company’s unexpected announcement of a substantial second round of furloughs effective roughly May 16. These new furloughs will reduce our Active Pilots from roughly 200 to 40.

To defend and advance the careers, working conditions, compensation, retirement, and benefits of Air Wisconsin and fellow ALPA pilots while also working to maintain the character of the Air Wisconsin pilot group as one of the most highly respected in the industry.

Our April 3rd destination is fast approaching, and I wanted to provide a short update.

To defend and advance the careers, working conditions, compensation, retirement, and benefits of Air Wisconsin and fellow ALPA pilots while also working to maintain the character of the Air Wisconsin pilot group as one of the most highly respected in the industry.

Your MEC Officers and Negotiating Committee met with Company leadership this past Wednesday and Thursday, February 26-27, 2025.  The focus of this meeting was to understand the current dilemma facing the Company: how to balance the effects of the decrease in revenue from the drop off in block hours for the coming lean months of April through July, with the need to also maintain a pilot list that can support an anticipated increase in block hours again in late summer to early fall as the new business initiatives currently in progress and the projected increase in NCAA charter operations begin to ramp up.

I know many of you are attempting to pierce the low visibility of our future at Air Wisconsin and seeking answers to many questions while our owners and senior management forge a new business plan. Air Wisconsin has 60 years of history and many chapters, and I’m confident we will soon begin a new, profitable and interesting chapter and your MEC Officers and MEC are working with the Company to keep our Pilots on-board.

On Thursday, January 30, your MEC officers and ALPA attorneys met with the company for a day of discussion and an update. Below you’ll find a list of many items discussed at that meeting.

Your MEC officers and ALPA attorneys met yesterday with Air Wisconsin senior management at ALPA’s offices in ORD to discuss a path forward following American’s decision to terminate the CPA with Air Wisconsin effective April 3, 2025. The Company confirmed that it still intends to remain a FAR Part 121 carrier as it transitions the operation for the strategic realignment just announced.

As the Company announced in an all-employee message earlier today, American Airlines has notified Air Wisconsin management that they will terminate its contract with Air Wisconsin effective April 3. On that date we will stop flying for American. Our other flying, predominantly Supplemental Operations, will continue.

As we drop the gear for this latest turn around the sun, I wish to take a moment to tell you all what an honor and privilege it is to serve as your MEC Chair and provide you a quick de-brief regarding the operations this past year at ARW ALPA.