ALPA’s Pilot-Partisan Agenda
Advocating for Aviation, Airline Pilot Priorities as the Industry Continues to Recover
Demand for air transportation in North America witnessed a significant uptick during early 2022 due in large part to the accessibility and effectiveness of vaccines and a pent-up desire to travel. While industry analysts expect this recovery to continue, many airlines haven’t adequately prepared for the dramatic increase in air transportation demand.
To gain support from legislators and the public, some carriers have advanced a false narrative about a so-called “pilot shortage” to explain the record-high flight cancellations despite the financial assistance of the historic payroll support program in the United States and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to help keep pilots on the payroll and airlines operating.
As air carrier operations return to normal levels, ALPA’s Government Affairs Department and its legions of pilot-partisan advocates are confronting important issues like pilot supply and efforts to roll back minimum first officer qualification standards, adequate funding for proven security measures such as the successful Federal Flight Deck Officer program, attempts to reduce safety-based crew complements, the installation of secondary flight deck barriers on airliners and intrusion-resistant barriers on cargo aircraft, and a host of other issues.
ALPA’s efforts to uphold demonstrated safety regulations, safely integrate commercial spaceflight into the national airspace system, create a sustainable airline industry, protect aviation’s dedicated radio spectrum, and advance safety and security standards in the halls of government are vital because its members work in one of the most heavily regulated industries, and many regulations originate from federal laws.
Read these articles to learn how ALPA Government Affairs pilot volunteers and staff stay focused on pilot-partisan issues to ensure that the airline industry fully recovers from the pandemic without jeopardizing the tremendous advancements the Association has achieved regarding wages, working conditions, quality of life, safety, and security for its 66,000-plus members.
