Summary

  • Potential strike at JFK tomorrow due to contract dispute with aircraft refuelers from Allied Aviation Services.
  • Delta Air Lines has the largest market share at JFK, with 439 flights scheduled tomorrow, making up 36% of operations.
  • Busiest route from JFK is to Los Angeles, followed by Heathrow in London and San Francisco, with numerous flights scheduled.

Memorial Day Weekend travel may be interrupted at John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the United States’ busiest airports. Aircraft refuelers are currently in a contract dispute and are planning a strike tomorrow.

Potential strike tomorrow

Strikes constantly threaten the aviation industry, and in Europe, actual strikes take place quite frequently. In the United States, they do not happen as often but are threatened as a ‘natural’ part of the negotiation process between employers and employees. A strike will likely occur as early as tomorrow at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Allied Aviation Services staff responsible for aircraft refueling at JFK are in a contract dispute with their employer. Negotiations have not gone well, and Allied has told the employees that one condition for a new contract is that they forfeit their rights to strike. The union that represents the staff, Teamsters Local 533, is not happy with these terms.

Construction progress of JFK's T6.

Photo: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

According to the New York Post, the two parties are arguing over who has jurisdiction over the negotiations. The debate is between the National Labor Relations Board or the National Mediation Board. In a statement, secretary-treasurer Demos Demopolos said,

“We will never give up the right to strike and fight for our members, a right granted to us by the National Labor Relations Act.”

If a strike occurs, it could be catastrophic, depending on the number of staff that walk out. The union said that Allied is the only fuel provider at JFK. The last time Allied staff went on strike, Allied management stepped in to refuel planes and keep the operation running.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees JFK, said the following about its plans if a strike takes place,

“We will work closely with our airport partners to minimize any disruptions over this busy holiday travel weekend. We have no involvement in negotiations between our contractor and their unionized staff.”

Number of flights and routes

According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, there are 1,204 scheduled commercial flights to and from JFK tomorrow. Between all the flights, more than 212,000 seats are available.

Delta Air Lines, which has a hub at JFK, has the largest market share of flights. Tomorrow, Delta has 439 flights scheduled, more than 36% of all operations at the airport. The average seat offering per Delta flight is 150.3, for a total of 64,960 seats.

JetBlue, whose largest hub is JFK, has the second-largest market share at the airport tomorrow, with 312 flights. Its average seats per departure are higher than Delta’s at 160.9, but it has 50,208 seats available. American Airlines is the only other airline to hold a significant portion of the market share, with 176 flights. More than 25,000 seats will be available on American’s flights tomorrow.

American Airlines and JetBlue aircraft at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport JFK shutterstock_1527434531

Photo: NYC Russ | Shutterstock

The busiest route is a transcontinental flight from JFK to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with 28 flights in each direction. The second-busiest route may surprise some, but it is to Heathrow Airport in London. There are 23 roundtrip flights available tomorrow. Number three is another transcontinental route, but it is to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which has 20 flights.

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