US Airways pilots have voted to accept pay concessions and let the beleaguered airline vastly increase the number of regional jets it operates. The vote of 86% in favour of a 78-month, $465 million restructuring by 4,330 Air Line Pilots Association members makes US Airways' survival more likely and improves its chances of winning final approval for a $900 million loan guarantee from the Air Transportation Stabilization Board. US Airways would ultimately be allowed to fly as many as 465 regional jets, of which 315 may be medium and large regional jets, including the 78-seat Embraer 170 and 86-seat Embraer 175. New subsidiary Mid Atlantic Airways would fly the larger regional jets, while the owned and affiliated US Airways Express carriers will fly the others. US Airways pilots would take annual pay cuts averaging just over 25%, with 1% annual raises from next May.
Source: Flight International
