Fellow pilots,

At the core of APA’s mission is our duty to protect the integrity of the safety of flight operations performed by our pilot members.

During the past year, APA has grown increasingly concerned about matters involving the Company’s safety and quality assurance programs, including ASAP and Federal Aviation Regulation compliance, and whether questions about those programs that we have brought to the attention of the American Airlines Certificate Management Office (CMO) have been thoroughly investigated and addressed.

In pursuit of information regarding these matters, we have made repeated requests following proper protocol for information, including filing requests with the Federal Aviation Administration under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Freedom of Information Act is described on the government’s website as follows:

“Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government.”

The FAA provided no records to APA in response to two of our requests and provided minimal documentation in response to another. While APA does not know how many responsive records actually exist and were not produced, we are aware of the existence of some documents that should have been provided by the FAA, but were not. Having been frustrated in our attempts to obtain information administratively, today we filed an action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the FAA has failed to comply with its obligations under FOIA to conduct an adequate search and to produce all records responsive to APA’s requests.

APA will continue to explore all options to ensure the integrity of the programs that keep our flight operations safe and in compliance with FARs. While it is unfortunate that we have been forced to commence litigation, APA takes very seriously its responsibility to our members to uphold the programs we have in place that are intended to safeguard their careers and to ensure workplace safety. Our passengers count on your professionalism and vigilance each day. You can count on APA to ensure that your safety remains our top priority.

Thank you.

In Unity,

CA Dan Carey
APA President