Pay - Air Transport: Heathrow Pay Rise

Unite members working as aircraft engineers for American Airlines at Heathrow Airport have secured a significant pay deal, with annual salaries surpassing £100,000 for the first time. The agreement, negotiated by Unite, provides a three-year settlement that will see safety-critical aircraft engineers earning up to £108,000 by 2027.

The 60-strong engineering workforce at American Airlines’ Heathrow operation will benefit from this new pay deal, which is expected to set a benchmark across the wider aircraft engineering industry. The agreement immediately increases top-of-scale aircraft maintenance technician pay to over £100,000, entry-level pay to £78,546 (including shift pay and London allowance), and top-of-scale crew chief pay to over £113,000 (including shift pay and London allowance).

Unite regional officer Joe McGowan hailed the deal, stating: “This is a landmark pay agreement that ensures Unite members at American Airlines are among the best paid in the industry. We will now turn our attention to other airlines in the sector to secure similar offers for our members.”