The union which represents pilots at Horizon Air, the wholly-owned regional subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, is suing the Seattle-based carrier over allegations that it forces fatigued aircrew who have called out sick to leave their homes, get on a plane, and ‘deadhead’ to another destination before they are allowed to have a rest period.
The lawsuit was filed by the Teamsters Union and its local division, the Airline Professionals Association, in a Washington State district court at the end of October, alleging that Horizon Air has effectively torn up a longstanding agreement that is meant to protect fatigued pilots who call out sick from home.
In the aviation industry, the term ‘fatigue’ doesn’t just mean a pilot is tired, but rather that the pilot considers that he or she is so exhausted that operating a flight could have a detrimental impact on flight safety…