3.04.26 – APFA ORD Base Brief – April 2026 Staffing and Allocations

April 2026 ORD Staffing and Allocations

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Happy March, Chicago.

As spring and summer flying continues to increase, operations will also ramp up. At the same time, cleanup efforts related to Winter Storm Fern are still ongoing. If you have not already done so, please continue to hold the company accountable for any contractual or scheduling discrepancies you may have experienced. It is important that concerns are properly documented and addressed to ensure compliance and transparency. For the most up-to-date guidance regarding the Fern cleanup process, please refer to the latest APFA Contract  & Scheduling Hotline. Company Accountability for Contract Violations: Winter Storm Fern

Yesterday’s Staffing & Allocations call provided additional updates. Below is a summary of the key information that was discussed.

---

Important Dates

• April Bid Month: April 1 – May 1
• First Day of Passover –  April 2
• Good Friday –  April 3
• Easter Sunday – April 5

---

ORD Flight Reductions

There have been news reports about the FAA requiring airlines to limit flights in and out of Chicago this summer. As of now representatives from American and other airlines are meeting with representatives at the FAA and the government to formulate a plan and discuss the impact.

As of now, we do not have specifics on what these reductions could look like. We do not anticipate any changes to the April allocations occurring. If they do, we will communicate them as soon as we know more.

---

ORD Base Town Hall

On March 20 at 1200, APFA ORD will host a virtual town hall. We anticipate recording the session and posting it on the ORD APFA Base page for those who are unable to attend live. A link to join the virtual town hall will be sent prior to the meeting.

---

Allocations

As we move into April, IPD flying will ramp up.

We will bid Aloha to our Daily Honolulu flight on April 18/19. The final sequence departs on April 18, operating with a double DH back to base.

ODAN flying will remain consistent from March into April.

---

Staffing

Chicago will see a significant number of New Hires arriving in base in April. This increase will positively impact our RSV percentages and help distribute hours more evenly. Approximately 131 new hires will be included in PBS for the month.

VLOAs were offered for April, with the company initially proposing 15. APFA advocated for an increase and was successful in raising that number to 45 VLOAs.

MSP hours have increased and are now closer to the 1,400 hours we have historically seen. We will continue to monitor the allocation and advocate for hours that remain consistent with past levels.

---

Daily Departures

---

Sequence Distribution

• 1-day: 29% in April vs 28% in March
• 2-day: 22% in April vs 25% in March
• 3-day: 46% in April vs 43% in March
• 4-day: 3% in April vs 4% in March
• ODAN Starts per day:  10.0 in April vs 11.5 in March
• 18% of flying is widebody.

---

PBS Preliminary Manning Plan

Safe Travels!

In Solidarity,

Justin Patterson
APFA ORD Base President
ORD Base Number: (773) 645-0809
Cell: (509) 720-0067
[email protected]

Dray Howard
APFA ORD Base Vice President
ORD Base Number: (773) 645-0809
Cell: (630) 215-8410
[email protected]