NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Allegiant Airways pilots union is blocking the airline’s attempt to win permanent residency for dozens of foreign pilots from Chile, Australia and Singapore, putting their immigration status and the company’s staffing in limbo.
The union refused to certify to the U.S. Department of Labor whether the pilot position, which starts at about $50,000 a year, about half what pilots at other regional airlines earn, meets “prevailing wage” standards. The certification is a critical bureaucratic step and a requirement for pilots applying for a green card.
Instead of hiring foreign pilots, Teamsters Local 2118 is asking Allegiant to provide industry-standard pay and improved scheduling to retain pilots traveling to competitors.
Allegiant said that like most U.S. airlines, it faced significant workforce challenges when travel surged after the pandemic. The airline has also struggled to retain pilots, in part because of low wages. To stabilize staffing, the airline has expanded hiring, hiring pilots under an employment visa program.
The union claimed that the airline misrepresented its intention to permanently employ these pilots and that there was no longer a shortage of pilots in the United States, so there was no need to seek permanent residency for the pilots.
Gregory Unterseher, aviation director of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told Reuters, “In 2023, they were having trouble finding pilots and they actually started hiring pilots from Chile with H-1B1 visas because they were verbally promised citizenship, a green card, to fly to the United States for $50,000 a year.”
“Because it’s hard for them to retain and maintain pilots at such low wages.”
Allegiant said it currently employs about 62 pilots from Chile, Australia and Singapore through the H-1B1 and E-3 visa programs, accounting for about 4% of its total 1,345 pilots.
An Allegiant spokesperson said recruiting pilots through the visa program is a small complement to its broader workforce strategy and not a replacement for U.S. workers.
The union refused to provide letters required for the airline’s application for a permanent labor certification. A permanent labor certification issued by the Department of Labor allows employers to hire foreign workers to work permanently in the United States
In a letter to pilots seen by Reuters, Allegiant wrote: “Due to the union’s failure to provide this information, we understand that your time to obtain your green card may be delayed.”
“The company hurts you by condemning the union’s decision to refuse to provide an updated letter requested by the Department of Labor,” the letter said.
Allegiant said in a statement to Reuters that “all of our hiring practices are fully consistent with federal labor laws, FAA regulations and collective bargaining agreements with our pilots unions.”
The union said the status of many foreign pilots is up in the air and some have been directed not to leave the country as President Donald Trump cracks down on foreign-born workers.
“My heart goes out to them. They were told, I think recently they shouldn’t even leave the country, right? Because they might not be able to return,” Winterseich said.
Attrition rate rises
Attrition is rising at Allegiant, with some leaving due to low wages in the industry, dissatisfaction with scheduling and nearly 10-year labor contracts, according to pilots.
One pilot who recently left Allegiant told Reuters that “in most cases first-year co-pilots at Allegiant make less than flight attendants at other major airlines or TSA agents” in their first year.
The airline has expressed interest in expanding its operations and at one point discussed adding 1,400 destinations. But pilots told Reuters that staffing shortages remained a thorny issue.
“For the past 18 months, we’ve had nowhere to go. Now that people have choices, you’re going to see people leaving. I know of a small group of people, five or six of my friends are leaving,” the pilot added.
(Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)