The Unite trade union has successfully negotiated a pay deal for its members working as aircraft engineers for American Airlines based at London Heathrow Airport.

The airline’s safety critical aircraft engineers will now get a new three year settlement with pay reaching £108,000 by 2027.

The 60-strong engineering workforce at American Airlines’ Heathrow operation will benefit from this new pay deal that will set a benchmark for the wider aircraft engineering industry with pay negotiations at other airlines.

Unite regional officer, Joe McGowan, said: “This is one of the most highly skilled jobs in the aviation industry and the safety of airline passengers and crew depend on the expertise of our members. This is a landmark pay deal that means Unite members at American Airlines are some of the best paid in the business.

“We will now be turning our attention to other airlines in the sector and ensuring our members there get similar offers.”

The agreement for Heathrow-based engineers will immediately increase 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 the scale crew chief pay to over £113,000 (including shift pay and London allowance).

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “I am delighted for our members at American Airlines. This deal is amongst the most favourable for aircraft engineering anywhere in the UK. Unite makes no apology for driving a hard bargain with the airline. Our members’ skills, experience, and industrial strength, demand nothing less.”

Unite says it will now be organising to ensure that comparable rates of pay are achieved for other similar engineering roles at Heathrow and other airports.

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