Major airlines including Delta Air Lines Inc., American Airlines Inc., and United Airlines Inc. say a knot of conflicting state, local, and federal requirements governing pay and working conditions for their flight crews are an existential threat to their bottom lines that adds to strains from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A case before the U.S. Supreme Court poses the question of whether a California law guaranteeing rest breaks to flight crews should take precedence over looser federal regulations. The justices asked the U.S. Solicitor General to weigh in, after balking on the question in recent years. That dispute follows a recent wave of battles in courts and state legislatures around the country, including in Washington State, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.
The battles add to the tension in an industry that’s had to cancel thousands of flights due to labor shortages, as flight crews combat high rates of infection and deal with passengers who refuse to comply with federal mask mandates.
“The pandemic-induced labor shortage is exacerbating the issue,” said Sarah Pierce Wimberly, who co-leads FordHarrison LLP’s airline service group. “If you now need extra pilots and flight attendants on your plane to accommodate state meal and rest break regulations, but you already are challenged finding enough pilots and flight attendants to operate your normal...
Moore has faced scrutiny for making false claims about his academic, military, and family backgrounds Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has embarked on a preemptive media campaign attacking his st...