Fellow Pilots,

A great deal has transpired over the past several weeks regarding negotiations, not the least of which was a change within the Negotiating Committee. These changes have brought a fresh set of eyes and perspectives to the team. However, something that has not changed and continues to be true is that we are all Allegiant pilots, and we share the same frustrations this group has collectively experienced over the last several years. Although there was a partial change in personnel, we intend to build on the foundation built by the previous members of the team by fighting for and achieving a contract worthy of this pilot group.

As was mentioned in the previous negotiating update the NC held mediated meetings with the company on January 14 and 15 in Las Vegas. At those sessions, the Company expressed an interest in meeting more frequently, to include outside of mediation, with the stated goal of reaching a tentative agreement in the near term. This is welcome news! More frequent meetings are a must if we want to close out these negotiations. However, make no mistake, this team remains deliberate in pursuing a collective bargaining agreement that reflects the hard work and dedication this pilot group deserves.

To that end, we will meet the company February 9-12 at Allegiant Headquarters in Las Vegas. These meetings will focus primarily on PBS and Section 15 (Scheduling) in hopes of breaking through the deadlock on the outstanding items in those sections. All parties agree that resolving the outstanding scheduling issues is a critical step toward achieving a tentative agreement and establishing a clear path forward. That is what we intend to do.

The last few weeks since the formation of the new team, has been spent getting the new members of the team (Captain John McDonald, Captain Scott Whitman, and Captain Byron Girmscheid) up to speed, to include a thorough briefing on our extensive negotiating history, detailed procedures on NavBlue PBS technical operations, relevant industry PBS agreements, and other negotiation-specific housekeeping items.

Shortly before our last mediated negotiation session, Allegiant announced the acquisition of Sun Country Airlines. We understand this announcement has generated numerous questions, many of which will be answered by Union Leadership over the next few weeks. However, from a negotiations standpoint, the Company has expressed an interest in achieving a standalone Allegiant collective bargaining agreement prior to any joint collective bargaining processes with our brothers and sisters at Sun Country.

What does this mean for Allegiant pilots? We believe this development may serve as a strong motivator for the Company to negotiate in good faith and finally fulfill the commitments repeatedly made to this pilot group. As a team, we share varying degrees of cautious optimism regarding the transaction. We are standing by to work with the company to craft an agreement that works for both the company and this pilot group.

Look for our next update following the in-person negotiating sessions scheduled for February 9-12. You are the lifeblood of our industry-leading airline, and your continued commitment to the operation deserves to be recognized and compensated accordingly. This team will fight to ensure that happens.

Below you will find introductions to the new members of the Negotiating Committee. If you have questions or concerns, please email negotiations@apa2118.org.

In Unity,

Negotiating Committee
Allegiant Air Pilots
Teamsters APA Local 2118

Captain Scott Whitman
My name is Captain Scott Whitman and I am one of the newest members of the Negotiating Committee and a twenty-two year veteran at Allegiant. I have been a previous Negotiating Chairman and I am familiar with the process and the task ahead. I look forward to representing the Allegiant Pilots and achieving the industry standard contract that we have fought for and deserve.

Captain Byron Girmscheid
My name is Captain Byron Girmscheid, and I have been entrusted by our newly elected Executive Board to serve as a Negotiator in the fight for the contract we all deserve as Allegiant Pilots. I have proudly served this pilot group in multiple roles within our Local Union, including six years as a Steward. I also bring over ten years of experience at Allegiant, having flown as a First Officer and Captain on the MD-80 and currently as a Captain on the Airbus. Throughout my career here, I have had the opportunity to work across nearly every corner of our operation, with bases in VBD, VPS, and now AVL. I am energized by the newly formed team and cautiously optimistic about what lies ahead. I take this responsibility seriously and will always fight for this pilot group. Your professionalism, dedication, and commitment to this career continue to inspire me, and I am honored to represent you at the negotiating table. Speaking for myself, I believe this team brings a wide range of perspectives and technical expertise that will be invaluable as we move forward.

Captain John McDonald
My name is John McDonald, and I am a captain based in Cincinnati. I began my career with Allegiant in August of 2015, and I am honored to serve on this negotiating team. I am fully committed to representing you, my fellow pilots, and to fighting for the contract we have earned and deserve. Your voices have been heard, and my responsibility is to carry them forward. This has been a long and hard-fought battle, driven by the dedication of many before me. While I am new to this team, I share that same commitment and will continue the work necessary to see this effort through. I understand that our airline and our operation are unique—but our jobs as aviators are not. We deserve a contract that stands on par with our brothers and sisters across the industry. You recognize that, and so do we. Together, we will secure a contract we deserve and one we can be proud of.

Allegiant Pilots,

This is an update on the pending acquisition and proposed merger of Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines. On Thursday morning, January 15, 2026, Executives from Allegiant and Sun Country held an online Teams meeting with the leadership from the two labor unions that represent the two carriers’ pilots, as well as the labor unions representing the other organized crafts/employees at Allegiant and Sun Country. The representation is as follows:

Jerry Glass, a longstanding consultant to airline industry management, led the discussion for both Allegiant and Sun Country. Speaking on behalf of both carriers, he explained that upon completion of the transaction, Allegiant will be the surviving carrier and Sun Country’s operations will be folded into Allegiant’s operations. Glass confirmed the carriers’ intent to close the transaction in the second half of 2026. No confidential information was shared during the meeting. Teamsters Local 2118 has requested a review of the material agreements relating to the announced merger, as required by Section 1.H.4 of the Allegiant Pilots’ CBA.

Teamsters Local 2118 is committed to completing the negotiations over improvements to pay, benefits, and working conditions in the current Allegiant Pilots CBA and securing ratification of a new agreement before the completion of the merger. The Allegiant Pilots Negotiating Committee is working hard to reach a new agreement through negotiations over improvements to scheduling, scope, benefits and economics. These negotiations are proceeding on a separate track from the merger-related matters discussed below.

With respect to the merger transaction, the applicable provisions of Allegiant Pilots’ CBA relating to labor protection include CBA Sections 1.H.1 and 1.H.3 b. Importantly, as set forth in Section 1.H.3.b., and assuming the Teamsters are certified as the post-merger collective bargaining representative of the combined pilot craft and class, the combined craft and class of pilots will become subject to and covered by the terms and conditions of the then-in-effect Allegiant Pilot CBA. Both the Teamsters and Allegiant have expressed their intent to complete their negotiations to amend the existing Allegiant Pilot CBA. The Allegiant Pilots CBA will be in effect at the time the combined craft and class of Allegiant/Sun Country pilots become covered under one collective bargaining agreement. The relationship between a new Allegiant Pilots CBA and the legal requirements and procedures involving the Allegiant/Sun Country merger are discussed below.

Turning to those merger-related requirements and procedures, the federal law known as the McCaskill-Bond Amendment governs the integration of seniority lists when two or more airlines merge and combine their operations. The McCaskill-Bond Amendment incorporates and codifies as federal law, the labor protective provisions contained in Parts 3 and 13 of the old Civil Aeronautics Board’s Allegheny Mohawk decision. Those protections contained in Allegheny Mohawk Parts 3 and 13 require a “fair and equitable” integration of the seniority lists of the represented crafts and classes.

The Railway Labor Act, and its regulatory agency, the National Mediation Board (NMB), through its Representation Manual and case law, covers issues pertaining to union representation of crafts and classes of employees in various transactions, including mergers of two or more air carriers’ operations.

One important legal issue to be decided by the NMB is whether the carriers have been integrated to such a degree that they constitute a “Single Transportation System” (also known as a “Single Carrier”), considering, among other factors, centralized and common control of labor relations and integration of certain essential operations. If the NMB’s investigation determines that a single carrier exists, its related procedures provide a process (usually through elections) for determining who will be the certified exclusive bargaining representative of each combined craft and class of employees of the single carrier. The determination outcome for one craft or class does not necessarily impact other crafts or classes.

The merger between Allegiant and Sun Country is only in its beginning stages. Later this year, however, with an anticipated new Pilots CBA then being in effect, it is expected that the merger will have progressed to a point where Teamsters Local 2118 (through the IBT Airline Division) or Sun Country’s Pilots’ union will file a petition for a “single carrier” determination by the NMB. Assuming it determines that a single transportation exists, and in accordance with its related procedures, the NMB will schedule an election among the Allegiant and Sun Country pilots to determine which union represents the combined pilot group.

Also, the integration of the Allegiant and Sun Country Pilots’ seniority lists will likely be completed by the time the NMB is called upon to determine the single carrier representative for the pilots. That process, as noted above, is governed by the McCaskill-Bond Amendment, which again requires a fair and equitable integration of the seniority lists. In that process, both pilot groups (Allegiant and Sun Country) will meet and, if necessary, engage in binding arbitration to establish the integrated list. Both sides have the right to retain separate counsel throughout the entire process. Teamsters Local 2118 has already retained experienced counsel to represent the Allegiant Pilots’ interests in the seniority integration process, and through its counsel, elected leadership, representatives, and subject matter experts, will work tirelessly to represent the Allegiant Pilots’ interests.

Finally, after the pilot seniority lists are integrated, and with the process for certification of the Union as the post-merger “single carrier” pilots’ collective bargaining representative completed, we anticipate negotiating over modifications to the CBA in order to account for the differences in flight operations between today’s Allegiant Air and Sun Country (for example, to account for cargo operations as well as passenger operations), and, importantly, to ensure that the Allegiant and Sun Country pilots – as a single craft and class of pilots – have their interests addressed and protected through the strength of their combined bargaining power. The Union will enter into negotiations with management over changes to the CBA to address merger-related issues and related improvements that benefit Allegiant and Sun Country pilots. The collective bargaining power and voice of Allegiant and Sun Country pilots will be leveraged and heard in this process.

We hope this update makes clear that airline mergers are complex and require completion of several important processes that directly affect the carriers’ employees. This process will not happen overnight; it will take months to complete. Local 2118 remains committed and fully focused on completing the current negotiations for a significantly improved Allegiant Pilot CBA.

Fellow Pilots,

Today, Allegiant management informed the Union of a pending acquisition and merger with Sun Country, with Allegiant being the surviving carrier upon completion of the transaction. This evening, your Executive Board and Trustee convened with the Union’s Negotiating Committee, legal counsel, and economist to review this development and begin outlining the appropriate next steps.

The Union will continue moving forward with negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement and remains focused on reaching a tentative agreement as soon as possible. Management has communicated that it shares this objective. Our priority remains securing an agreement that meets the contract expectations of the Allegiant pilot group while addressing the realities of the operation.

As the announced acquisition and merger process moves forward, the Union will deploy all necessary resources to protect the rights, careers, and long-term interests of Allegiant pilots. We are committed to ensuring that our pilots are fully represented and supported throughout this process.

We will provide timely updates as additional information regarding the transaction becomes available.

In Solidarity,

Local 2118 Executive Board

Fellow Pilots,

Since certification of the election results, the Blue Skies 2025 team has been preparing for a smooth transition as our term begins on January 1.

Last week, the Executive Board Elects began discussions with the Temporary Trustee. He has informed us that our IBT Oath of Office is scheduled for early January. This week, the Executive Board will sign the required non-disclosure agreements. These agreements will allow access to internal information necessary for continuity, oversight, and informed decision-making.

January Priorities

Negotiation Committee Personnel Review The Executive Board will conduct a comprehensive review of all individuals currently supporting negotiations, including contractors, labor counsel, pilot negotiators, and subject-matter experts. The objective is to clearly understand the structure, strategy, and status of negotiations. This review ensures the Board is fully informed and prepared to support the Negotiating Committee in their work toward a tentative agreement that reflects member priorities and can earn broad support.

Officer Training During January, the Executive Board will attend New Officer training in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. hosted by the IBT. Training will cover governance responsibilities, fiduciary duties, member communications, grievance handling, and administrative requirements, among many others.

Operational and Administrative Training Following New Officer training, the Board will complete additional instruction specific to Local 2118 operations, including financial and dues administration, Flight Pay Loss processing, grievance workflows, recordkeeping, compliance, and reporting, and internal procedures supporting governance.

Our focus is to communicate clearly with the pilot group. We take the responsibility to represent our membership seriously and to protect the integrity of this Local and the profession we share.

Finally, As the year ends, we wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season. Thank you for your continued professionalism and support. Fly safe.

In Solidarity,

Ryan Joseph, President-Elect
Hansel Duran, Vice President-Elect
Gregory Harris, Secretary-Treasurer-Elect
Fihmi Rossman, Recording Secretary-Elect
Brandon Wood, Trustee-Elect
Genie Moy, Trustee-Elect
Barron Howard, Trustee-Elect

Following yesterday’s officer elections, the Blue Skies slate has shared a message for all members. Please take a moment to click the link below for the message from Blue Skies.