Alaska and Hawaiian Pilots Reach Tentative Joint Labor Contract

Pilot leadership at Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines has unanimously approved a tentative agreement on a single Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA), marking a definitive milestone in integrating the flight deck workforces of both carriers following their corporate merger. The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) confirmed that the Master Executive Councils (MECs) representing both pilot groups voted to advance the comprehensive 76-page agreement to their combined membership for a formal ratification vote.

The tentative agreement covers approximately 4,600 commercial aviators, comprising roughly 3,400 pilots from Alaska Airlines and 1,200 from Hawaiian Airlines. The breakthrough comes after more than 600 days of complex joint negotiations that commenced in February 2025 following Alaska Air Group's acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and the subsequent receipt of a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Framework of the Unified Contract

Negotiators from the union's six-member Joint Negotiating Committee utilized the existing Alaska Airlines collective bargaining agreement as the structural baseline, systematically integrating key provisions, work rules, and scheduling protections from the Hawaiian Pilots' Working Agreement. The resulting four-year agreement establishes standardized operational rules and compensation across all fleet types operated by the merged carrier.

The ratification voting window for the combined pilot group is scheduled to open on 1 December 2026 and conclude on 22 December 2026. If ratified by a majority of participating aviators, the unified contract will take effect on 31 January 2027 and run through 30 January 2031, when it becomes amendable under the Railway Labor Act.

Drew Coyle, Alaska MEC chair, praised the dedication of union negotiators in addressing the complex requirements of both flight deck groups. He noted that the tentative agreement is the culmination of more than 600 days of challenging bargaining and volunteer effort, giving pilots the contractual foundation needed to operate effectively as a unified workforce.

Pay Scales and Market Rate Adjustments

The tentative agreement establishes substantial pay increases across narrowbody and widebody fleets, with structured annual rate escalations extending through 2030. For widebody operations, pay rates for the Boeing 787, Airbus A330, and A330-200F freighter fleets are banded together under a uniform scale. Under the proposed rates, a 12-year widebody captain will earn $493.41 per hour starting in 2027, rising progressively to $539.16 per hour by 2030.

On narrowbody equipment, a 12-year Boeing 737 captain will see hourly wages increase from $401.09 to $438.28 over the contract term, while a 12-year 737 first officer will advance from $273.94 to $299.34 per hour. Distinct pay schedules have also been defined for pilots operating the Boeing 717, Boeing 737 MAX 10, and Airbus A321neo.

To safeguard wage competitiveness throughout the four-year lifespan of the agreement, the contract incorporates an annual Market Rate Adjustment mechanism. Under this provision, wage rates across all fleets will adjust annually to match the prevailing average of four major network competitors—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines—on comparable aircraft types, or rise by a guaranteed minimum of 3%, whichever is higher. Pilots will also gain a new late-night operational override of $14 per hour for segments flown between 02:00 and 03:45, which stacks with international and ETOPS premiums.

Retirement Enhancements and Scope Protections

Beyond hourly flight pay, the tentative agreement delivers substantial enhancements to retirement benefits and job security provisions. Company contributions to pilot 401(k) defined-contribution retirement plans will increase to 18%, with the airline agreeing to absorb all ongoing plan administrative expenses. Per diem allowances have been established at $3.33 per hour for domestic flying and $3.58 per hour for international operations, indexed annually to federal meal and incidental expense rates.

The agreement also tightens contractual scope protections to prevent the outsourcing of mainline flying. The allowable proportion of small regional aircraft operating under capacity-purchase agreements has been reduced from 43% down to 40% of the mainline fleet size. Furthermore, Alaska Air Group must operate at least 94% of all domestic code-share and interline flying with mainline crews, alongside a strict contractual requirement mandating two pilots on the flight deck at all times.

Deadhead travel protections have also been enhanced, requiring business-class seating for positioning flights exceeding five hours and lie-flat accommodations for domestic deadheads over eight hours or international segments over six hours. With educational roadshows scheduled across domiciles through late November, pilots will now review the contract language ahead of next month's crucial vote.