While Continental has had to cancel dozens of flights due to suddenly “sick” pilots, the management at US Airways say its pilots have been more subtle about hobbling the airline’s operations — an allegation the pilots deny.

On Friday, US Airways filed a lawsuit against its pilots union, claiming that the flyboys have been staging an illegal work slowdown.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

In an injunction request filed in federal court in Charlotte, N.C., US Airways alleged that the union is encouraging slow taxis to miss federal on-time performance criteria; encouraging delays in completing online pilot training in order to force flight cancellations, and writing up “non-flight-critical” maintenance items just before departure to delay flights.

A rep for the pilots union, which declares the allegations “categorically false,” had the following statement:

The US Airways lawsuit represents nothing more than an escalation of the pilot intimidation campaign that started more than three years ago when they tried to discipline pilots for requesting additional reserve fuel.

This is only the latest squabble between US Airways pilots and management. In May, the pilots union sued the airline, alleging that company management had failed in its obligation to negotiate the pilots’ contract in good faith.

Has anyone noticed US Airways operating any slower than usual in recent weeks?

US Airways suing pilots, contending delays [Philly.com]
US Airways pilots deny illegal work slowdown [Reuters]

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