Aloha Airlines' pilots union today asked a federal bankruptcy judge to bar any sale of the carrier's cargo operations that violates the terms of the pilots' collective bargaining agreement.

The Air Line Pilots Assocation filed for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Honolulu seeking to prohibit the company from assigning lower seniority pilots to fly Aloha's interisland cargo routes.

Aloha, which shutdown its passenger operations on March 31 and laid off 1,900 employees, is in the process of auctioning off its profitable cargo division, which employs about 300 workers. The company recently selected Pacific Air Cargo as the top bidder for its 1,000-employee contract services division.

ALPA said Aloha's pilots will meet tomorrow to hold a strike authorization vote.

Aloha had no immediate comment, saying it had not yet reviewed the union's filing.