Captain Alexander Kluge, MEC Chair

Alex is an Airbus A220 captain currently based in ORF. He joined Breeze in March of 2021. Alex served on the pre-union Breeze Pilot Committee (BPC) but soon joined the ALPA organizing committee, along with three of the four members of the BPC committee, after realizing that BPC forum was completely ineffective in advancing pilot issues. He is one of the proud 30 pilots, out of the original 59 eligible pilots, who voted for unionizing and won union certification through the National Mediation Board on August 12, 2022.

He became the ALPA-appointed secretary-treasurer of the interim MEC and was then elected by the pilot group, as MEC chair and captain representative. In addition to his union duties, he was also a line check pilot on the Embraer E190 at Breeze before transitioning to the A220 in September 2024.

Alex previously flew for SkyWest Airlines and was based in ORD, SFO, SAN, LGA and LAX and worked as a ground and sim instructor mainly in its Denver facility. Prior to his flying career, Alex was a paratrooper in the German armed forces and holds a psychology degree with a focus in Human Factors.

Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and their German Shepherd dog, he likes playing chess, history books and documentaries. In his younger days, he played Rugby and American Football.

First Officer Sam Long, MEC Vice Chair

Sam is an Airbus A220 F/O currently based in ORF. During the last MXY MEC term, he served as the executive administrator to the MEC. Sam’s MXY career began in August 2023 on the E-Jet, based in MSY before bidding into ORF the first time before spending a year in PVD.

Before he started flying, Sam was a fireman in the City of Norfolk, Va. for seven years, leaving that career to join Liberty University’s Part 141 Aviation program. Like many of you, he built time as a CFI until the opportunity arose to join a Part 135 operation, Outer Banks Air Charters. Much of his flight time was built in 135 aircraft at OBAC, where, after expanding the Air Carrier Certificate from a Single Operator to Basic Unlimited, Sam eventually rose to the position of Director of Operations.

When Sam’s not flying the line, you’ll find him working on other business ventures, at the general aviation hangar at CPK or PVG, or with his family. Sam lives in Virginia Beach, VA, with his wife, of 14 years, and four children, ages 13, ten, eight and four.

Sam says, “My short time in the industry has shown me the incredible value of our Union. It is true what the very first president of ALPA told us: “One pilot alone is a voice in the wind; together, we are a storm that cannot be ignored.”

Captain Giles “Phil” Collings, MEC Secretary-Treasurer

You may see his legal name show up, but most people call Giles by his nickname, "Phil". He is an Airbus A220 captain based in BDL.

Phil previously served as the MXY Scheduling Committee chair. He started with MXY in 2022 flying the Embraer E190.

A British-born Aussie, he started flying in 2009. After a few jobs in general aviation, flying the Piper Seneca and the Fairchild Metroliner, in 2011 Phil moved into regional Part 121 flying the Embraer 120 with Airnorth in Australia. While there, he served as a Local Executive Council vice chair with ALPA’s Australian affiliate, Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP).

After stints in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Caribbean, Phil moved to the U.S. in 2018, flying with TransStates Airlines. In 2021, Phil started flying for GoJet prior to moving to Breeze.

When Phil’s not flying, or performing union duties, he enjoys hiking, skiing and traveling.