Transmitted by Canada NewsWire on : June 18, 2004 16:01

Associations of Star Alliance Pilots (ASAP)

VAUDREUIL-DORIAN, QC, June 18 /CNW/ - The Associations of Star Alliance Pilots (ASAP) just completed its three-day semi-annual meeting. ASAP is an organization consisting of the pilot associations of all of the Star Alliance carriers, now seventeen in number. Present at the meeting were over thirty representatives of the pilot leadership at those carriers. The meeting was hosted by the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA).

Guest speakers included two Air Canada executives. Montie Brewer, Executive Vice President - Commercial, and Captain Peter Blake, Manager of Quality Assurance and Audits, as well as Canadian Astronaut, Dr. Dafydd (Dave)Rhys Williams.

The pilot groups discussed the continuing challenges to the global aviation industry, including issues presented by escalating fuel costs and the emergence of low cost carriers throughout the world. Pressure by the industry to reduce wages and benefits, including pensions, as well as efforts to increase productivity and appropriate pilot responses were emphasized, as well as the continued need for vigilance in the safety arena as code-sharing among the member airlines reaches record highs. Meeting Chairman Captain Don Johnson, President of ACPA, noted:

"While ASAP continues to serve as a clearing-house for our pilot unions to exchange information and ideas, we also strive to be supportive of our carriers insofar as Star is concerned, because we are persuaded that code-sharing and alliances are critical to the survival of our carriers in the increasingly competitive world environment."

Finally, the pilots honored Captain Tom Kosik, who recently retired from United Airlines. Captain Kosik has served as the elected coordinator of the group since its founding. ASAP has elected Captain Bob Arnesen of SAS to succeed Captain Kosik as coordinator. The next scheduled meeting of the ASAP Executive Board will be hosted in Kyoto, Japan by the All Nippon Airways Crew Association during November 2004.