It is both sad and unsurprising that some are using the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico to attack the Jones Act -- a maritime cabotage law that protects good U.S. jobs and ensures the U.S. military has sealift capability in times of war or conflict. Sad because the crisis in Puerto Rico is real and the people there need and deserve help from our government, but more to the point, undermining the Jones Act will not solve the problem.  It is unsurprising because ALPA knows that foreign interests will find just about any excuse to try and weaken U.S. cabotage rules at the expense of U.S. workers and fair competition.    

Special Guest Commentary by F/O Eric Stoltz, Alaska Airlines

I take a personal interest in safety because, well, it’s my life on the line. Mine, ours, and theirs, really. My safety is first, so I can make sure my crew is safe, which means the people, dogs, cats, boxes, airplane, and buildings will be too. So I jumped at the opportunity to visit Members of Congress as part of ALPA’s Legislative Summit and tell them why it’s so important to maintain the safety standards put into effect in 2010—and specifically the first officer qualification and training rules.

Emirates Airline plans to operate daily flights from Newark to Dubai through Athens beginning March 12 is yet another example of the airline massive subsidies it receives from the United Arab Emirates government.

As ALPA celebrates its 85th anniversary this month, Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Peggy Gilligan offered a guest commentary for Air Line Pilot on ALPA’s lasting and important role in advancing aviation safety throughout the years.

“When it comes to getting the job done and getting it done well, the Air Line Pilots Association has long been known as a go-to group—not just for safety and efficiency, but for forward thinking as well,” wrote Gilligan.

Since 1931, ALPA has been a central figure in building a strong, safe, and secure North American airline industry. For more on ALPA’s contributions over the decades, read Gilligan’s full article here.