Aircraft engineers employed by American Airlines at Heathrow Airport have accepted a pay increase over the course of three years.
The 60 employees, who are members of trade union Unite, are safety critical aircraft engineers.
The three-year pay deal includes annual salaries for top-of-scale aircraft maintenance technicians exceeding £100,000 for the first time, entry level pay rising to £78,546, and top-of- scale crew chief pay increasing to more than £113,000, with both including shift pay and London allowance.
According to Unite, the aim of the deal is to set a benchmark for the wider aircraft engineering industry and pay negotiations at other airlines.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “I am delighted for our members at American Airlines. This deal is among the most favourable for aircraft engineering anywhere in the UK. Unite makes no apology for driving a hard bargain with the airline. Our members’ skills, experience, and industrial strength, demand nothing less.”
Joe McGowan, regional officer at Unite, added: “This is one of the most highly skilled jobs in the aviation industry and the safety of airline passengers and crew depend on the expertise of our members. This is a landmark pay deal that means Unite members at American Airlines are some of the best paid in the business. We will now be turning our attention to other employees at Heathrow and airlines in the sector and ensuring our members there get similar offers.”
American Airlines was contacted for comment prior to publication.
