(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
NetJets, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, is facing a major challenge in the marketplace as the pilot shortage continues to tighten its grip.
NetJet’s Executive Management Team is yet to take proactive steps to attract and retain increasingly scarce pilot talent, claims the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP).
“We are watching management teams across the industry – from legacy carriers to ultra-low-cost carriers – take bold steps to reinforce their competitive footing for top pilot talent,” NJASAP President Capt. Pedro Leroux said. “We fear NetJets’s intransigence on this industry-shaping moment will have very serious consequences for the brand’s ability to deliver the unparalleled safety and service product for which our customers pay a premium.”
The shortage of pilots is a critical issue across the aviation industry, with legacy carriers and ultra-low-cost carriers taking steps to reinforce their competitive footing for top pilot talent.
NetJets and its pilots union had a decade of often contentious relations. However, in 2021, they reached a new agreement without any of the past drama. The relationship between the two parties had hit rock bottom in 2015, with angry pilots conducting picketing at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha.
Earlier this week, NJASAP filed a complaint against the luxury jet carrier in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The lawsuit accuses NetJets of attempting to suppress union-related pilot speech in violation of federal labor law. NJASAP filed the lawsuit after NetJets threatened to discipline pilots for referring customers to the Union’s website.
© 2023 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.