Polar Air Cargo Crews Go On Strike

A subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (AAWW), all cargo Polar Air operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 747 freighters in a global scheduled-service network. Between the two entities, there is a total of 42 aircraft.

AAWW president and CEO, Jeffrey H. Erickson, says that it has been preparing for a strike by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). “Consistent with our strategic initiatives to place our aircraft where they are most profitable, we have returned three aircraft on dry least to Polar back to Atlas Air,” he noted. “We have also placed two Polar aircraft for sale or lease, and are in the process of placing the remaining aircraft in other uses, including dry leases. As a result, only seven of the company’s aircraft are affected by the strike.”

For its part, Captain Bobb Henderson of ALPA says, “Polar crewmembers have numerous years of flight experience and advanced education, and are simply not fairly compensated for an airline of this size, sophistication and profitability. In response to our concerns about compensation, management has generally offered nothing more than numbers that were well below what our peers are paid.”

Polar Air Could Confront a Pilot Strike