Pilots

Oct. 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- Data from NASA's National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS) project, a survey administered to pilots in order to track safety-related incidents during air travel, should not be used to measure rates or trends in safety in the National Airspace System, says a new report from the National Research Council. Deficiencies in several aspects of the survey design make the data gathered unreliable.    » read more »

House Passes Legislation Introduced by Western New York Lawmakers to Strengthen Aviation Safety, Pilot Training and Passenger Confidence in Wake of Flight 3407 Tragedy

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26), Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) today called passage of H.R. 3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, a strong first step forward to improve the safety of air travel in the United States.    » read more »

Legislation addresses recent incidents, including Comair 5191

WASHINGTON (October 14, 2009)—This afternoon, Rep. Ben Chandler supported H.R. 3371, legislation to make air travel safer by strengthening requirements for pilot hiring, training, and pilot fatigue.

“All passengers deserve to be safe in the air—it doesn’t matter which airline you fly,” Chandler said. “It concerns me that the last six fatal commercial airline crashes in the United States were all on regional carriers, and that includes Comair Flight 5191 in Lexington.”    » read more »

FORT WORTH, Texas, June 4 -- American Airlines today announced the reinstatement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) for American's pilots.

American and the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union representing all AA pilots, reached an agreement in March that was approved by the FAA and became effective on May 29, reinstating the pilots' program that had lapsed last fall after 14 years.

ASAP is a safety partnership organized by American, the union, and the FAA, designed to encourage employees to voluntarily report safety-related information. The reports help identify potential precursors to serious safety incidents.    » read more »

June 15, 2008 -- HONOLULU – An attempt by management and pilots at Hawaiian Airlines to turn around a strained and difficult post-bankruptcy relationship appears to be failing. After more than a year of effort to reach a new contract outside of the regular negotiating process, both sides are still far apart and the pilot group is rapidly losing patience, according to the Hawaiian Airlines unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA).

Hawaiian Airlines jet: Photo by Dylan Ashe (CC)    » read more »

June 13, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) urged Congress this week to act to stabilize energy markets and end the rampant speculation that has led to the recent jumps in oil prices and put an economic stranglehold on the U.S. airline industry. ALPA, together with other unions, organizations, and corporations, called for swift action in a joint transportation industry coalition letter sent to Congressional leaders.    » read more »

Merger will formally take effect on June 1

May 14, 2008 -- OTTAWA, ONT.—The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today announced that its Executive Board has ratified the merger between ALPA and the First Air Pilots Association (FAPA). In April, FAPA members overwhelmingly voted to merge their independent union with ALPA. The merger will formally take effect on June 1, 2008.    » read more »

May 13, 2008 -- Atlanta – Captain Lee Moak, Chairman of the Delta Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, the governing body of the union representing the over 7,300 pilots of Delta Air Lines, will testify before the United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation.

Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines jets: Photo by Cubbie_n_Vegas (CC)

The hearing will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 2 p.m. EDT in Room 2167 of the Rayburn House Office Building.    » read more »

NTSB Sunshine Meeting Underscores Need to Act

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.— This week’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) findings made clear that pilot fatigue persists as a significant aviation safety risk. Solutions must include changing corporate cultures so that they seek to partner with, not punish, airline pilots for expressing fatigue concerns.

Jet takeoff, Boston: Photo by Mark Leary (CC)    » read more »

April 3, 2008 -- CHICAGO -- The union representing the pilots of ATA Airlines is condemning the airline’s management for its callous disregard of its employees and passengers in canceling all operations without warning early on Thursday morning.

“By shutting down in the middle of the night, this management group has let down its loyal customers and the flight crews, cabin crews, mechanics, and other employees who have made deep sacrifices over the past few years to keep ATA afloat,” said Capt. Steve Staples, chairman of the ATA unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l.

ATA Airlines Boeing 737-800: Photo by Matt Hintsa (CC)    » read more »

February 13, 2008 -- WASHINGTON—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), asked members of Congress today to remedy runway incursions and other airport safety issues facing America’s airline industry by increasing funding for the National Airspace System (NAS) modernization effort.    » read more »

February 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement in response to the recent announcement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of a new trial airport employee screening program at seven airports.    » read more »

January 24, 2008 -- HOUSTON—Leaders of the Continental pilots union, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l., decided today to activate the union’s Strategic Merger and Acquisition Response Team Center (SMART). Start-up of the SMART center was in response to recent industry merger activity.    » read more »