Dozens Of Alaska Airlines Flights Canceled At Seattle-Tacoma Airport

SEATTLE — Dozens of Alaska Airlines flights were canceled Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and dozens more at other airports as many pilots hit the picket lines.

Sixty-six Alaska Airlines flights heading into and out of the airport were canceled Friday, according to the tracking site FlightAware.com.

The airline told Patch it was experiencing "significant flight cancellations" Friday.

"We’re notifying our guests whose flights are impacted, and we’re working as quickly as possible to make things right and get them to their destinations. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience," the airline said in a statement.

Alaska Airlines pilots planned to picket Friday. As of 9 a.m. Friday, the airline said it canceled more than 120 flights, about 9 percent of its overall operation. More than 15,000 passengers were affected.

More cancelations are possible over the weekend, the airline said.

"It takes everyone at Alaska to run a successful and reliable operation," the airline said. "Today, we fell short. We’re grateful for all employees who are working hard to get our guests to where they need to go."

Organizers said contract negotiations stalled after three years. They said they're underpaid and overworked compared to pilots at other major airlines, including United, Delta and American.

Will McQuillen, a pilot and union chairman for Alaska Airlines' pilots, told KING-TV they're concerned about attrition.

"Pilots will leave for the career carrier of their choice that provides them the quality of life, the ability to be home with their family and the protections to know once they've invested their career that they will be with that carrier for life," McQuillen said.

A rally was planned at 10 a.m. followed by picketing at 12:30 p.m.

The airline committed to negotiating a new contract for pilots, and respected their right to picket. It said it hopes to reach a collective bargaining agreement that recognizes pilot contributions and gives with pay raises, job security and more work flexibility. However, Alaska Airlines said the deal must allow it to keep growing and remain profitable.

“A new pilot contract remains a top priority for Alaska,” said Jenny Wetzel, vice president of labor relations for Alaska Airlines. “We’ve put a package on the table that’s competitive and addresses the issues most important to our pilots. It’s a significant financial investment in our pilot group while recognizing that we are still working to recover from $2.3 billion in losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are eager to conclude negotiations quickly so our pilots can enjoy these new benefits as soon as possible.”

The airline's latest proposal to the union includes:

Top of scale wage of $280 per hour for captains

Market wage adjustment a year after the contract is ratified to keep pilot wages competitive with other airlines.

More job security for pilots: All Alaska Air aircraft with more than 76 seats will be flown by the most senior pilots.

More flexibility for pilot schedules and more support for reserve pilots.