New United Airlines Pilot Union Head Resigns In Days For Homophobic And Misogynistic Comments

by Gary Leff

Dec 22 2022

Captain Neil Swindells was elected to head the United Airlines pilot union in a controversial and close vote, where members of the group’s Master Executive Council tried to shut down discussion of his homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic online commentary.

I wrote, though, that he was unable to represent all of his pilot members equally. And this wasn’t just an internal pilot issue – the head of the pilot union gets a board seat at United Airlines. He was clearly unable to represent shareholders, either.

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Flight Attendant Yells At Passenger: “I Am Not Your Servant!” After Airline Fails To Deliver Special Meal

by Gary Leff

Dec 21 2022

Video of an inflight confrontation between a passenger and a flight attendant has gone viral, where the crewmember declares “I am not your servant!” That’s after yelling “My crew is crying because of you!” The passenger told her to shut up, and she yelled shut up right back.

People on social media, and especially other cabin crew, are cheering this IndiGo flight attendant on from afar. But it should never have gotten to this.

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The New Head Of The United Airlines Pilots Union Must Resign Immediately

by Gary Leff

Dec 20 2022

The Air Line Pilots Association negotiated a new contract with the airline. Seeing pilots at other airlines getting more than they had negotiated they ripped up the agreement rather than sending it to their members. And many United pilots now want a fight with the airline.

But just-elected Captain Neil Swindells is the wrong person to lead them, because he cannot represent the full membership of his union with racist and misogynistic commentary.

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Boeing Succeeds In Lobbying For Exemption To Safety Measures For 737 MAX

by Gary Leff

Dec 20 2022

Boeing has reportedly succeeded in lobbying against safety measures for Boeing 737 MAX -7 and -10 aircraft, with Congress sticking the airframe manufacturer’s language into the must-pass year-end budget bill.

Any plane that’s certified starting in 2023 requires new cockpit alerts as a result of legislative reaction to problems with the Boeing 737 MAX. But Boeing is about to get an exemption from this for the new 737 MAX variants.

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