Apparently the Ninth United States Circuit Court of Appeal just recently reversed a lower federal court ruling that found the US Airlines Pilots Association liable in a duty of fair representation lawsuit. The union represents the pilots at US Airways Group Inc. This is the same airline that operates its largest hub out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The United States District Court in Arizona had issued an injunction that required the union to bargain for seniority integration terms based on a previous union’s bargaining proposal. The latest decision currently allows the union to freely bargain for the terms of its seniority integration between US Airways pilots and those of the former America West Airlines.

The two carriers merged together as of September 2005. The combined companies have taken on the US Airways name. However, the merged companies have been unable to agree on a joint contract for its two pilot groups. This has been causing a lot of problems.

The dispute revolves around seniority issues. This determines compensation, routes flown, captain status, and of course vacation. The union can now begin collective bargaining on behalf of all US Airways pilots.

The US Airline Pilots Association, which is based out of Charlotte, represents 5,200 mainline pilots who fly for US Airways. The airline operates some 3,000 flights per day to 190 destinations in both America and Europe.

Experts say that this is an issue that needs to be resolved quickly. Right now airlines have enough problems to worry about, but these kinds of troubles just add more things to the “to do list.”