Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA’s president, thanks participating members for stepping up and advocating for the Association’s pilot-partisan agenda.

The U.S. government exerts an enormous amount of influence over the operations of airlines, the safety and security standards they must adhere to, and policies affecting airline pilot employment and quality of life. That’s why it’s imperative for ALPA to engage and routinely interact with lawmakers to ensure that before passing related aviation legislation, they take into consideration priorities from a frontline perspective. That’s also why for 11 years, the union has held its annual Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., connecting members of Congress with their airline pilot constituents.

On June 12, more than 160 uniformed ALPA pilots representing 12 carriers were organized into groups based on their home states and sent to the Capitol Hill offices of their federal lawmakers. For example, among the more than 180 scheduled visits, a group of Minnesota residents spoke with Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN). Capt. Eric Hall (Delta), F/O Laura Haynor (Delta), Capt. Scott Nelson (Delta), Capt. Andrea Ratfield (Delta), and Capt. David Hopkinson (Delta) thanked Stauber for his support of the various ALPA priorities included in the recent FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R. 3935). This bill is vital to airline operations because it extends the agency’s authority and funding, including essential industry infrastructure costs, through September 2028. Stauber, who during the visit revealed that he’s logged 43 hours of private flying, is an influential member of both the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee and its Aviation Subcommittee. His understanding of the union’s priorities was of paramount importance.

In a May correspondence to members, Capt. Jason Ambrosi, the Association’s president, highlighted the significance of this legislation, which finally passed both Houses of Congress in May after four extensions. He asserted, “ALPA strongly advocated for key provisions that were included in the final bill, including measures to break down barriers, open up opportunities to ensure a robust and qualified pipeline of aviators, and provide air-service support for those living in rural and small communities without lowering the bar on safety. The final bill also advances the ball on requiring secondary flight deck barriers for existing passenger aircraft, and directs the FAA to develop a standardized system for voluntarily reporting smoke and fume events on passenger-carrying aircraft.”

Other key provisions include strengthening protections related to FAA certificate action and employer discipline related to cockpit voice recorders, requiring the FAA to update disclosure protections for voluntary safety reporting programs, and enhancing runway and airport alerting systems.

Stauber noted that he flies as an airline passenger to and from his home state nearly every week and thanked the pilots for keeping him safe.

Safety Starts with Two

In the Longworth House Office Building, F/O Michelle Arcamuzi (United), Capt. Chris Riggins (Delta), Capt. Mark Manausa (Frontier), and F/O Greg Sumner (United) chatted with Rep. Rubén Gallego (D-AZ). After thanking the House member for his support of the FAA reauthorization bill, the pilots impressed upon him the need to be aware of and take any action necessary to prevent reduced-crew operations (RCO) in airline operations.

If authorized, RCO could allow for only one pilot on the flight deck while the other rests. Applying this mode of operation as it’s been proposed in Europe—referred to as extended minimum crew operations (eMCO)—the typical flight crew complement of a captain and first officer would be on the flight deck for takeoff and landing. The two would then alternate between flying and resting in another part of the aircraft during the cruise phase of flight. Proponents of this dangerous, cost-cutting approach suggest that in the event of irregular operations or an in-flight emergency, the resting pilot could be alerted and summoned to the flight deck.

Airbus is currently developing an A350 model with eMCO capabilities. The news media reports that, under its eMCO program (formerly named Project Connect), Cathay Pacific has been working with the aircraft manufacturer to certify the A350 for single-pilot operations for specific long-haul markets. Other carriers, such as FedEx Express, have also expressed interest in single-pilot operations.

Sumner emphasized that ALPA fully supports the development of technology that enhances aviation safety, but certifying RCO would have the opposite effect. The group discussed the near-miss incident involving a FedEx B-767 and a Southwest Airlines B-737 on Feb. 4, 2023, at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas (see the November–December 2023 issue). As the FedEx captain prepared to land the aircraft on Runway 18L, the first officer, despite heavy fog, spotted the Southwest airplane still on the runway. The FedEx pilots then aborted the landing, averting a catastrophic accident.

Investigators reported that the FedEx B-767 came within 150 feet of the Southwest tail. Twenty-three near misses were reported at U.S. airports last year.

Arcamuzi shared a personal incident she witnessed while riding the jumpseat and subsequently serving as a third crewmember for the flight. Immediately after takeoff, there was an issue with the flight deck door, requiring prompt attention. While the problem was resolved, the incident further illustrates the need for flight deck support when these and other kinds of irregularities occur.

In a nearby Longworth office, Capt. Ron Hay (Delta), F/O Dan Schafer (Spirit), F/O Jeffrey Steele (United), F/O Laura Vincent (Delta), and F/O Dallas Brown (Delta) made a similar case against allowing RCO in U.S. airspace. The five Texas residents spoke with Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX).

Brown, who lives in Van Duyne’s district, noted that during an emergency, it would take minutes for the resting pilot to return to the flight deck and regain the necessary operational awareness to be reasonably responsive—more time than the flight crew would likely have to address the irregularity.

Vincent noted that the airline industry may attempt to introduce RCO to air cargo operations first but that wouldn’t lessen the risk. She observed that cargo airplanes share the same runways and airspace with passenger aircraft.

Hay communicated that ALPA’s position is key to aviation safety and preventing those within the industry from adding risk solely for the purpose of reducing expenses.

All the ALPA pilots on Capitol Hill on June 12 asserted that the most important aspect of airline safety is the presence of at least two highly trained, experienced, and well-rested pilots on the flight deck at all times.

Pilots in Training

Two days before the congressional meetings, the 160-plus attending pilots assembled for presentations and panel discussions and participated in breakout sessions, all in preparation for their upcoming congressional appointments. This year’s participants included pilots from Alaska, CommuteAir, Delta, Endeavor Air, FedEx Express, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Piedmont, PSA, Spirit, and United. Elizabeth Baker, director of ALPA’s Government Affairs Department, moderated the event and also participated in several presentations and panels.

ALPA’s president opened the legislative conference, thanking the pilots for stepping up and advocating for the Association’s pilot-partisan agenda. “Just a few weeks ago, Congress passed and the president signed into law the FAA reauthorization bill that included many important ALPA priorities without undesired concessions. Let me underscore that the FAA reauthorization was an uphill battle with special interests working hard to undermine our union and air safety,” he remarked.

Referencing ALPA’s messaging during the upcoming Capitol Hill meetings, Ambrosi noted, “This week we’ll thank our representatives for preserving safety through the FAA reauthorization process, we’ll provide invaluable education on how reduced-crew operations is the greatest threat to aviation safety we face, and we’ll grow our District Advocate program to effectively fight airlines’ efforts to take away the hard-won state law rights of flight crews.”

Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA’s first vice president and national safety coordinator, also spoke to the pilots in attendance, noting, “I can’t stress to you enough the significance of your time spent on Capitol Hill this week in advancing the Association’s legislative priorities. Your interactions with elected representatives are absolutely crucial to helping lawmakers understand the important issues we, as airline pilots, are focused on. This is especially important when it comes to educating our members of Congress about the complexities of aviation safety and security.”

In addition to updating summit participants about the particular issues they’d address with their members of Congress, many of the presentations focused on making the most of Capitol Hill visits. Pilots interacted with a panel of congressional staff members who discussed ways to make a positive impression with their elected officials. Jill Larrabee, ALPA’s Government Affairs legislative counsel, moderated the session on the role congressional staff members have in working with constituents, which featured Bobby Puckett, legislative director for Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR); Jessica Proud, chief of staff for Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY); and Rachel Harris, chief of staff for Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ).

When asked about the political dissension and acrimony Washington, D.C., has become known for, Proud asserted that the reality isn’t what you see on cable news networks. She observed there are numerous instances when members reach out across the aisle, particularly regarding regional issues. “There are certainly differences, but we find common ground,” she added.

Puckett remarked that using personal stories as examples to communicate policy positions pilots want members of Congress to support is a great way to make a point. Harris noted that postmeeting social media posts are an effective follow-up to congressional meetings, adding that Lesko loves to see photos from visits with her.

Summit attendees received a recorded welcome from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the House Democratic leader, who remarked, “With the passage of the bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill just last month, Congress has reaffirmed our commitment to you and all who utilize air traffic infrastructure by renewing the authority of the FAA for the next five years with an investment of more than $105 billion.”

Summit keynotes included a speech from Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), a member of the Senate Committee for Commerce, Science, and Transportation, who emphasized that safety is a bipartisan issue. It’s in everyone’s best interest.

“Airline safety can never be taken for granted in this country,” said Langworthy, who represents the 23rd District of New York, which includes the area south and east of Buffalo, in another keynote address. He recalled the Colgan Air Flight 3407 accident that occurred on Feb. 12, 2009, and is a staunch advocate of the training and experience requirements required for new FAR Part 121 first officers that resulted from that event.

In addition, Baker talked with Brian Bell, the Aviation Subcommittee Democratic staff director for the House T&I Committee, in a fireside chat about the FAA reauthorization process. Bell is tasked with advising Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the T&I Committee ranking member, and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), the Aviation Subcommittee ranking member, on issues including civil aviation and other modes of transportation.

Following the fireside chat, Ambrosi led a panel discussion on RCO featuring Capt. Bill Secord (FedEx Express), an ALPA executive vice president and RCO Committee chair; Capt. John Sluys (Alaska), ALPA’s international affairs coordinator; and Baker.

“Aviation is an international industry,” asserted Secord. “If we allow RCO to happen overseas, it’s going to happen here. Educating our pilot groups is the most important thing we can do right now.”

“We all have to take ownership of this and be a part of it,” said Sluys, who talked about the international Safety Starts with Two campaign led by ALPA, the European Cockpit Association, and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, along with pilots representing the Associations of Star Alliance Pilots, the Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition, and the SkyTeam Pilots Association. This worldwide campaign was initiated to ensure that the current standards, which have helped make aviation the safest form of transportation, aren’t eroded (see the June–July 2023 issue).

Jeff Pavlak, manager of ALPA’s Government Affairs Department, provided an overview of the behind-the-scenes work regarding the FAA reauthorization and highlighted multiple issues that ALPA was able to address before they were written into the bill. He took questions from pilots for more than 20 minutes, discussing how ALPA was able to make the difference between what was proposed and the final bill.

David Martin, a senior legislative representative in ALPA’s Government Affairs Department, led a panel titled “District Advocates’ Role in the States.” The presentation featured three ALPA members who are leading the way in ALPA’s state lobbying efforts: Haynor, F/O Kaori Paris (United), and Capt. Eric Popper (United). These pilots not only met with members of Congress during the Legislative Summit, but also recently worked with state legislatures in Saint Paul, Minn.; Richmond, Va.; and Springfield, Ill., respectively, to advocate for flight crew considerations in worker-related policy making.

Other summit activities included a presentation by Kelly Richardson, vice president of strategic planning and marketing for Rinaldi Consultants, titled “Speak Up, Listen Well: Strategies for Constructive Communications.”

Capt. Alex Cole (United), Capt. Zachary Wilkie (CommuteAir), and Capt. Tony Sandrolini (JetBlue) participated in a roleplay exercise in which they engaged Adam Melis, the political representative in ALPA’s Government Affairs Department, in a mock congressional office visit for audience comment and feedback. Melis presented a separate segment on ALPA-PAC, noting that the PAC had garnered more than 15,000 donors so far this year and was on track to raise more than $5 million in 2023–2024 election cycle.

The summit also included three breakout sessions. The first, titled “Emerging Challenges: The State-Level Assault on Flight Crew Worker Rights,” highlighted the threats ALPA members are facing at the state level, the legal aspects of labor law, and why the Association needs to be more engaged with state governments. This session was led by Pavlak, Martin, and Stephanie Spanja, a senior attorney in ALPA’s Legal Department.

The second breakout covered storytelling and advocacy techniques and tips for building in-district relationships and featured Melis; Paul Mendelsohn, a grassroots representative in ALPA’s Government Affairs Department; and Capt. Blake Reynolds (Alaska). The third provided an overview of the FAA reauthorization bill by Baker and F/O Brendan Cantwell (Delta).