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CONTACT: Captain Dennis Tajer, 847-902-8481; Gregg Overman, 817-302-2250/817-312-3901
Allied Pilots Association “Strongly Supports” Collins Amendment to FAA Reauthorization Bill
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 20, 2018) – The Allied Pilots Association (APA) voiced its strong support for the amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (NY-27) to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Rep. Collins’ amendment stipulates that “the Secretary of Transportation shall not modify any requirement relating to pilot certification and qualification requirements” in the current federal regulations.
Following the tragic accident involving Colgan Air Flight 3407 nine years ago, Congress approved the Airline Safety and Federal Administration Act of 2010, and the Federal Aviation Administration enacted new regulations to establish minimum first officer training and qualification requirements. These standards are largely credited with contributing to the current period of aviation safety.
“As we saw this week with Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, there’s absolutely no substitute for having highly experienced, well-trained, fully qualified, and adequately rested pilots at the controls, particularly when something goes wrong,” said Capt. Dan Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association. “Thanks to the current rigorous requirements, air travel is safer than ever. It would be a terrible disservice to our industry and the traveling public to reverse course now.
“We can’t let the fiction of a pilot shortage derail the significant progress made in air safety over the past decade,” Carey added. “We applaud Rep. Collins for standing up for safety, and we urge Congress and the administration to preserve the current regulations.”
Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org. American Airlines is the world’s largest passenger airline.