August 14, 2011 — Negotiators of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division and the Executive Council of Omni Air, Teamsters Local 1224, announced the conclusion of a tentative agreement with Omni management. 

The agreement, which is the first contract for the pilots, was reached after years of negotiations and includes substantial pay and benefit increases for the pilots and scope provisions to protect jobs and quality of life. 

Omni operates a fleet that includes Boeing 757, 767 and 777 aircraft, providing ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) services in addition to cargo and troop airlift for the U.S. military under a contract with AMC (Air Mobility Command).

“We’re pleased to have concluded this first tentative agreement for the Omni pilots,” said Airline Division International Representative Captain Scott Hegland. “In addition to some very solid scope protection language, the crewmembers will see an aggregate 34 percent pay increase and work rules that will improve their quality of life.” 

“I want to congratulate the elected leadership of Omni and their crewmembers on this historic first tentative agreement,” said Airline Division Director David Bourne. “Their willingness to stay focused on the goal and support their leadership is reflected in this agreement. To achieve what was accomplished in this agreement; in these economic times is a credit also to the tenacity of the negotiators and International Representatives who worked with them.” 

A series of road shows to brief the members on the agreement will begin next week in Las Vegas, followed by Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth and concluding in Shannon, Ireland in September. Other cities in the U.S. are under consideration and will be announced later. 

Omni Air International, Inc. is a United States charter airline with its headquarters in Hangar 19 on the grounds of Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It operates international and domestic passenger charters, as well as wet leasing. The airline was established under the name of Omni Air Express and started operations in March 1993. Passenger operations began in December 1997. It has a little under 1,000 employees (at July 2007).