David Neeleman's Startup Breeze Rankles Pilots Union With Australia Workaround

Breeze Airways, JetBlue Airways' founder David Neeleman's newest creation, is having so much trouble hiring pilots that it is recruiting in Australia through a unique visa program that allows pilots to receive work authorization to join U.S airlines. It's an approach that has caught the ire of the largest pilot union in the United States, which accuses the company of trying to "undercut pilot wages."

The E3 visa program is not new, and it is open to Australians who possess "highly specialized knowledge" in many industries. U.S. airlines have used it before, but it has generally been implemented by smaller regional carriers, such as CommutAir, a United Express airline, that often have considerable turnover as pilots move up in the ranks. Breeze, however, flies larger airplanes and competes with major U.S. airlines, mainly in the Eastern United States. The airline began flying last year with used Embraer E190s and E195s, similar to JetBlue's. Soon, it will add new Airbus A220s, joining JetBlue and Delta Air Lines as U.S. operators.

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