Amerijet International (M6, Miami International) is working collaboratively with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) “on creative ways to mitigate the short-term impact on crew staffing,” it told ch-aviation, stating it had not made a furlough announcement despite recent reports.

Media outlet Freight Waves recently published a memo addressed to pilots on April 23, by Chief Operating Officer Craig Bentley in which he said the Floridian cargo specialist may furlough an undisclosed number of pilots between late May and June in order to align its headcount with reduced uplift demand as well as an overall softening of the cargo market.

Amerijet International has been restructuring its business after losing major contracts, which reduced monthly flight hours by 700 and the cancellation of three of the four routes operated by the carrier on behalf of the United States Postal Service, as well as its rapid expansion during the Covid-era cargo boom. The freighter specialist posted a USD40.8 million net loss between January and September 2023, according to data from the US Department of Transportation. To address these issues, it announced a USD55 million capital infusion earlier this year.

Additionally, Amerijet has reduced the size of its fleet, going from 22 aircraft in December 2023 to 16 currently, of which five are parked. The ch-aviation fleets module shows it has three B767-200(BDSF)s (all parked), one B767-300ER(BCF), nine B767-300ER(BDSF)s (two parked), and three B767-300Fs.

Bentley said there will have to be enough volunteers or an increase in business; otherwise, “we will be announcing furloughs in late May for a June reduction.” The company has 260 pilots on its payroll.

In a statement sent to ch-aviation, ALPA confirmed it is actively working with Amerijet's management, focused on preventing potential furloughs as the company navigates through changes to its business portfolio. "While our industry is ever-changing, Amerijet pilots are optimistic that the recently negotiated agreements will provide the short-term flexibility needed to react to business changes and meet demand," said Andrew Molbert, Amerijet ALPA Master Executive Council chairman.

Increased operations in South America

The company continues to remain a strong air cargo airline in the Caribbean and Latin America, it told ch-aviation in a statement. It is the market leader in Santo Domingo Las Américas and San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin, according to airport data.

Moreover, “we have put an emphasis on becoming a relevant cargo player in Colombia [...]. For 1Q 2024, Amerijet operated 85 flights out of Colombia. This activity has driven the Q1 on-demand charter segment revenue to increase 70% year over year. For Q2, this number will be surpassed as over 40 flights have operated from April to date.”