Chapter 21 - "The Origins of the American Airlines Split"

Flying the Line

ALPA's during its early years was a remarkable story of unification across company lines. There were cracks lying under the surface, but unity kept any schisms at bay. But as time went by, the old spirit of shoulder-to-shoulder solidarity among ALPA's pilots began to erode. The new generation of pilots coming up were complacent about ALPA and the importance of unity, which would lead to the largest split that ALPA has experienced in its history.