Allegiant Air pilots last week voted to strike "if necessary," posing the possibility of future hassles for flyers who use Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, where the company is the dominant airline.
Allegiant and Gateway Airport officials called the vote symbolic and said the pilots are forbidden from going on strike over the issue of scheduling.
Allegiant spokeswoman Hillarie Grey said in a statement, "We want to assure customers there are no legal grounds for a strike and we are not anticipating any disruptions.
"As for status of the scheduling system at issue, we are waiting for a timeframe from the vendor regarding programming time needed to complete requested changes, with a testing period to follow – but hope to have the system implemented by the end of the year.
"Also, please note that the vendor for the new system was selected by the union," Grey continued. "Allegiant has supported development and testing throughout the process and any allegation otherwise is incorrect.
He said Allegiant pilots have been raising concerns about the scheduling system for years.
In 2016, the pilots and Allegiant reached an agreement requiring that they negotiate and implement a new system within 180 days.
"Allegiant has again stonewalled that negotiation process and recently backed out of its prior agreements with the pilots over terms for the new scheduling system," the pilots said in the release.
The union noted that Allegiant has posted 60 consecutive profitable quarters.
"Its executives are among the highest compensated in the industry, with the company CEO – and largest shareholder – taking home tens of millions in shareholder returns in recent years," they said, citing a $74 million "windfall" the company received as a result of the recent tax bill.
"This has all been achieved with little consideration for the lives of the pilots who have continued to make Allegiant successful," they said.