Allegiant Air pilots union members agree to possible strike

Local air travelers may find themselves facing canceled flights after members of a pilots union at Allegiant Air, the main airline at Orlando Sanford International Airport, recently voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike “should it become necessary.”

The main issue among members of the pilots union is the airline’s scheduling system “that goes against standards and disregards pilots’ seniority and preferences — often upending pilots’ planned time away with their families,” according to a press release from a public relations firm representing the Airline Pilots Association, Teamsters Local 1224.

“We are people with spouses and children, not cells on a spreadsheet that Allegiant executives can move around with no rhyme or reason,” Capt. Andrew Robles, an Allegiant Air pilot and executive council chairman for the union, said in a written statement. “Striking is a last resort, but we’ll do whatever it takes to hold Allegiant to its promises and to make our airline the best it can be for our pilots, our families and our passengers….Allegiant has a long track record of breaking its commitments to its pilots, and we’ve had enough.”

One of the country’s fastestgrowing airlines, Las Vegas-based Allegiant is the dominant airline at Orlando Sanford International Airport. It flies to 78 destinations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico from the airport. Other airlines at the airport include Via Air and Surinam Air.