In an interview with Politico, ALPA President Capt. Tim Canoll, discussed ALPA's opposition of the inclusion of Section 744 into the House FAA reauthorization bill. Section 744 authorizes a study to explore single-pilot flight operation on cargo aircraft.

As lawmakers and regulators are examining the safe expansion and integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace, ALPA reminded the United States Senate that ensuring the safety of airline passengers and crews remains the highest priority.  

This week, another airline used an alleged pilot shortage as an excuse to suspend operations, blaming life-saving safety regulations as the reason why they could not attract and retain pilots. According to the Denver Post¸ “Great Lakes Airlines has reported problems retaining and hiring on pilots for years and has drastically shrunk its route profile as a result.” This is another example of how special-interest groups have attempted to manufacture a crisis instead of facing the truth—that lack of a career path combined with rock-bottom pay and benefits by some airlines are the real reasons they have failed to attract pilots. These groups simply want to weaken significant safety improvements in order to increase the number of available pilots.

For airline pilots, February 12 serves as a constant reminder of the importance of aviation safety. Although it’s been nine years since the Colgan Air Flight 3407 tragedy, the gravity of the crash has not diminished—our collective grieving continues and our passion for the safety of our skies has only grown.

Flight 3407 had a profound impact on our industry and, in its aftermath, positive changes in aviation safety emerged. ALPA was an early leader in calling for the strengthening of pilot training and qualification requirements. Through collective efforts with other aviation safety advocates, Congress enacted the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. 

This week at Asia’s largest air show, the Singapore Airshow, drones continued to dominate the news coverage. With zero commercial aircraft orders announced, there was much discussion on how to effectively ensure that as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) continue to rise in popularity, they do not adversely threaten safety.