Trans States and Compass Pilot leaders respond to announced sale
01-Jul-2010 Pilot leaders at Trans States Airlines and Compass Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), responded to today’s announcement of the purchase of Compass Airlines by Trans States Holdings.
"We will continue to support them as they work their way through the integration process to improve and enhance our members' careers and job security."
"The announced acquisition of Compass Airlines by Trans States Holdings today comes as little surprise to a segment of the industry that was likely to begin consolidating as its network partners continue to do the same," said Capt. Jason Ruszin, chairman of the TSA arm of ALPA. "While Trans States Holdings plans to operate Compass Airlines as a separate, wholly owned airline, we remain optimistic that the addition of Compass under the TSH umbrella not only will prove to be a benefit to the bottom line of Holdings, but also will provide greater economic and job security benefits equally to all Compass and TSA pilots. Compass pilots are ALPA pilots, and we have a history of working together across company boundaries."
Trans States Holdings, which operates for United and US Airways, is acquiring Compass Airlines for $20.5 million. Compass flies under the Delta Connection banner and, until today, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc.
"I remain cautiously optimistic about today's news, as there are still many questions that need to be answered," said Capt. Vince Barnhart, chairman of the Compass arm of ALPA. "Regardless, I look forward to working with our fellow ALPA brothers and sisters at Trans States as we move forward."
"The pilots of the ALPA-represented airlines involved in today's announcement have the decades of experience and far-reaching resources of their 53,000-member-strong international union behind them," said Capt. John Prater, ALPA's president. "We will continue to support them as they work their way through the integration process to improve and enhance our members' careers and job security."
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world's largest pilot union, representing nearly 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the United States and Canada, including more than 440 pilots who fly for Trans States and nearly 400 pilots who fly for Compass.