Aloha pilots continue to negotiate

Pilots at Aloha Airlines were advised yesterday to continue negotiating with the company about their pension plan.

An article in the Honolulu Advertiser reports on a hearing yesterday at the U.S. Bankruptcy court. Aloha's pilots union asked that the company not be allowed to cancel the pilots' pension plan and turn it over to the Pension Benefits Guarnty Corp.

The judge gave a little more time to the parties to negotiate.

"We're going to continue negotiations toward a consensual agreement as we always have. And we will get a consensual agreement," said Aloha Airlines Capt. Anthony Denzer, secretary/treasurer of Aloha's pilots union.

[Aloha spokeswoman Stephanie] Ackerman said, "The judge has given a little bit more time for the parties to come to a resolution and that is something that we are definitely going to pursue — working with our pilots in the hope of getting some consensual agreements in short order because it is necessary for our plan of reorganization."

A tentative agreement for benefit givebacks by Aloha's flight attendants was announced in the same news story. The flight attendants union will vote to ratify that agreement late this month.

Aloha hopes to emerge from bankruptcy late this year.