Air Safety Forum News

Experts from around the globe gathered in Washington, D.C., September 9-12 for ALPA’s 68th Air Safety Forum (ASF). With the theme "Moving Forward Together," this annual event offers unmatched collaborative and networking opportunities to discuss critical topics facing not just the piloting profession but the entire industry. Following two days of private ALPA Air Safety Organization (ASO) sessions, the ASF opened to the public on Wednesday and concluded on Thursday evening with an awards banquet highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of ALPA pilots.

Keep reading for highlights from the 68th ASF or view photo gallery.

68th ASF Kicks Off with Air Safety Organization Meetings

The Air Safety Forum formally opened on Monday with private group meetings to discuss successes, priorities, and next steps in the ASO’s four pillars of safety, security, pilot assistance, and jumpseat. For two-and-a-half days ASO volunteers were joined by industry and government experts for tightly focused discussions.

“Gathering this week and sharing knowledge and experiences with our colleagues in the ASO and throughout aviation is such a valuable element of keeping our industry safe and secure,” said Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA’s first vice president and national safety coordinator. “The conversations we have and work we do this week set the stage for the successes of tomorrow.”

The ASO’s Security and Jumpseat groups each held a forum with panels and presentations on hot topics and priorities; both also held council meetings, consisting of the chairs of the relevant master executive council (MEC) committees. The Aviation Safety group also held a council meeting, first meeting separately and then jointly with the Training Council and Human Factors and Training group. The Pilot Assistance group was represented as well, with meetings for the Critical Incident Response Program; MEC chairs of Pilot Peer Support, Aeromedical, and Professional Standards committees; and Canadian Pilot Assistance chairs.

Other events included a Canada breakout, a joint meeting of the Cargo Committee and Dangerous Goods group, a Reduced Crew Operations Committee meeting, a Remote Operations Committee meeting, Chief Accident Investigator refresher, and Safety Management System breakout. Additional group meetings included Aircraft Analysis & Prevention, Aircraft Design & Operations, Airport & Ground Environment, Accident Investigation Board, Air Traffic Services, and the Safety Information Analysis program.

ALPA President Emphasizes Association’s “Unified Voice for Safety”

Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA president, opened the public portion of the Air Safety Forum on Wednesday afternoon with both a look back and a look forward. “It is always a privilege to continue ALPA’s 93-year-long tradition of advancing improvements in safety, security, pilot assistance and jumpseat, and through our work this week we will do our part—just as our predecessors did—to advance these causes for the future,” he said.

Ambrosi reminded attendees of ALPA’s core mission since the Association’s creation. “We were founded on safety and the use of unified pilot voices to demand better, safer, working conditions in the face of management indifference or corporate greed,” he said. Building on that foundation “pilots are now the final arbiters of safety,” Ambrosi proclaimed.

Highlighting the Association’s successful advocacy during the recent FAA reauthorization, Ambrosi stated, “Earlier this year, we saw what pilots can accomplish when we speak with a unified voice for safety.” He celebrated many recent advancements made in the ASO’s four pillars of safety, security, pilot assistance, and jumpseat, and commended the hundreds of pilot volunteers—including many in attendance—who drove those successes.

Ahead of a fireside chat with Capt. Otjan de Bruijn, president of the European Cockpit Association, Ambrosi spoke strongly against the dangerous concept of reduced-crew operations. “There are a million ways having fewer pilots on the flight deck could go wrong,” he said, “and each one of them could cause an airline tragedy the likes of which the United States has been spared for over a decade and a half.”

He pointed to current actions by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Airbus in attempting to move aviation in this direction. “I want to be crystal clear,” he continued. “Reduced-crew and single-pilot operations aren’t some far-off fantasy. This isn’t rhetoric for the Air Safety Forum that I’m making up. This is happening now.”

Alluding to the morning’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, Ambrosi closed by reminding attendees, “As an industry, we have seen what can happen when we haven’t done enough to protect safety and security. We’ve felt the pain; we’ve experienced the tragedy. But we have also learned lessons that we can never forget.”

He concluded, “Opportunities like this forum allow us to tear down any barriers and concentrate on the goal of ensuring that our industry never experiences another tragedy. I’ll admit, this is a lofty goal, but we’ve had remarkable success as an industry in achieving it, and there will always be more to accomplish. We must continue to fight for safety and security improvements in everything we do.”

ALPA Honors Pilot Volunteer Airport Safety Liaisons, Names Airport of the Year

The Air Safety Forum provides the opportunity for ALPA to recognize members and other champions for their support of the union’s priorities. The first set of awards were presented during Wednesday’s session, where the Association honored two members for their volunteer work as ASO airport safety liaisons and also presented the Airport of the Year award.

Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA first vice president and national safety coordinator, presented the following Airport Safety Liaison Awards along with Capt. Steve Jangelis (Delta), ALPA Aviation Safety chair, and Capt. Jeff Sedin (United), ASO Airport and Ground Environment (AGE) group chair:

Capt. Carmelo Marino (JetBlue) received an award for his work at John F. Kennedy International Airport and as the ALPA ASO AGE Eastern Regional Airport coordinator.
Capt. Ronald DuJohn (WestJet) received an award for his work at Calgary International Airport and as the ALPA ASO AGE Prairie & Northern Regional Airport coordinator.

“ALPA’s 100-plus airport safety liaisons serve as our union’s local representatives at airports across the United States and Canada,” said Morse. “The collaboration they foster with airport management, air traffic controllers, and local communities helps ensure that ALPA has a seat at the table on local aviation policy and that our line pilots are informed when delivering on their commitment to safe and secure flight operations at every airport.”

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) was recognized as ALPA’s 2023 Airport of the Year. Walter Escobar, airside construction coordinator with the Sacramento County Department of Airports was on hand to receive the award.

“Sacramento has demonstrated a strong willingness to support flight crews that operate at the airport and seeks out pilot input to ensure that time-critical safety information is made available to crews,” said Morse. “Airport leadership understands the positive benefits of having a strong relationship with ALPA and is always willing to meet and discuss topics of concern to pilots.”

Wendy Morse, Jeff Sedin, and Steve Jangelis present the 2023-24 Airport Safety Liaison of the Year Award to JetBlue Captain Carmelo Marino.

Wendy Morse, Jeff Sedin, and Steve Jangelis present the 2023-24 Airport Safety Liaison of the Year Award to Westjet Capt. Ron Dujohn.

FAA Administrator Speaks in Strong Support of ALPA’s Position on Reduced-Crew Operations

“It’s an honor to be here on this solemn anniversary,” said FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, referencing the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He recalled his participation at previous ALPA Air Safety Forums while serving as the agency’s deputy administrator, adding, “I want to start by saying it’s good to be among friends.”

Whitaker, who has served as administrator for nearly a year, stressed that his priority “boils down to safety in the NAS [national airspace system]” with a philosophy to “aviate, navigate, and communicate.” His initial concerns include air traffic controller staffing and fatigue, issues which he continues to address.

The first big challenge for Whitaker as FAA administrator came with the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident involving the blowout of the door plug on a Boeing 737 MAX approaching 16,000 feet. He explained takeaways from the event including the need to constantly review oversight models; assess the various layers of safety involved; and collect “better data, more data, and better tools to analyze that data.” Whitaker remarked, “We’re looking forward to partnering with you in that effort.”

During an ensuing question-and-answer session, ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi asked about the agency’s position on RCO. Whitaker acknowledged efforts by two aircraft manufacturers in Europe to implement reduced crew operations. He observed that as far as his administration is concerned, “I couldn’t agree more—two well-trained, well-rested pilots in the flight deck is a key pillar of safety. It is the law of the land, and I intend for it to stay the law. We have been engaging more with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and will be engaging on a quarterly basis so this issue will remain front and center.”

“Safety Starts with Two” Leaders Emphasize the Dangers of Reduced-Crew Operations

On Wednesday, ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi was joined by European Cockpit Association (ECA) president Capt. Otjan de Bruijn for a discussion of the critical safety concerns surrounding the concept of reduced-crew operations (RCO). Along with the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, ALPA and ECA founded the “Safety Starts with Two” coalition, a campaign designed to educate regulators, policymakers, and the public about the dangers of RCO.

Ambrosi expressed ALPA’s strong opposition to RCO as he warned about the grave risks posed by the concept. “Let’s be very clear here, the aviation environment is highly dynamic, unpredictable, and challenging in all phases of flight, and no two scenarios are ever alike,” he said. “Any operational concept that reduces the flight deck to less than two pilots, consequently, reduces the safety and security of the aircraft, regardless of ongoing advances in flight deck technologies.”

De Bruijn echoed Ambrosi’s views and provided insight into the European perspective, noting that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is currently considering extended minimum crew operations (eMCO), despite studies showing increased safety risks. He described the rapid movement of RCO discussions in Europe, driven by airlines and manufacturers eager to cut costs. Heedless of these concerns, EASA continues to move forward, having recently initiated regulatory changes well before the safety work has been fully vetted.

“EASA has already announced that it is starting rulemaking activity, which doesn’t make any sense to us,” said de Bruijn. “If you haven’t proven that such a concept can be introduced safely with all the risks mitigated, why would you start rulemaking? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Both association leaders criticized over-reliance on automation in RCO proposals, stressing that human pilots play a crucial role when aircraft systems malfunction or when unpredictable situations arise during flight operations. They agreed that technology should support, but can never replace, pilots on the flight deck.

“We are fighting really hard on this issue because we see this as a large and very dangerous gamble with safety. It is our number one priority,” said de Bruijn.

Ambrosi and de Bruijn reaffirmed their commitment to opposing RCO and called for a unified global response, urging continued collaboration among airline pilots through “Safety Starts with Two.”

“If RCO is allowed in other parts of the world, it will eventually come to our shores,” said Ambrosi. “And then there will be economic pressure on our airlines, and consequently on our regulators, to follow suit. That’s why the work that is being done in Europe to oppose RCO is so important.”

Ambrosi Presents Citations for Outstanding Member Service to ALPA’s Air Safety Organization

ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi honored four members of the Association for their volunteerism in the service of ALPA’s Air Safety Organization during an awards luncheon on Thursday. Ambrosi presented each of the award recipients with a presidential citation:

Capt. Rich Hughey (FedEx Express) for his role in advancing aviation safety,
Capt. Ed Escobar (Frontier) for his contributions to aviation security,
F/O Barbara Bentzin (United) for her efforts in support of pilot assistance initiatives, and
Capt. Mark Gaertner (Air Transat) for his work on aviation jumpseat issues.

“The honorees recognized this afternoon will join a cadre of professional airline pilots who reflect the very highest caliber of excellence in our profession and our industry,” said Ambrosi. “Truly, they are among the finest examples of the spirit of volunteerism and service to the profession as well as air transportation.”

Two additional awards were presented during this session:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recognized Capt. Escobar for his contributions to aviation security with a certificate presented by Special Agent David Rodski
Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Susan Northrup, honored Dr. Quay Snyder, ALPA’s aeromedical advisor, with the FAA’s Master Pilot Award, which is presented to pilots who have accumulated 50 years or more of piloting experience.

Capt. Ambrosi (left) with the 2023 Presidential Citation Award recipients.

Dr. Susan Northrop and Capt. Jason Ambrosi present Dr. Quay Snyder with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

ASF Panels Bring Collaborative Discussions Among Industry Experts

Panel: Mental Health Is Physical Health, New Perspectives on Pilot Fitness

In addition to keynote addresses and awards presentations, the final two days of the Air Safety Forum included panel discussions on current and evolving aviation issues featuring expert speakers from ALPA, the industry, and the U.S. and Canadian governments.

This year’s panel discussions included:

Jamming and Spoofing: Emerging Threats to Aviation Cybersecurity
ALPA: Strengthening Our Stance on Aviation Security
Maintaining Your Medical Certification—What You Need to Know
Mental Health Is Physical Health: New Perspectives on Pilot Fitness
Examining the Impact of Emerging Unmanned Aircraft Technology
Assessing Aviation Safety Program Effectiveness

NTSB Chair Brings Air Safety Forum to a Rousing Close

NTSB chair, the Honorable Jennifer Homendy, closed out the Air Safety Forum with a passionate and well-received keynote. Called “a tireless advocate for safety” when introduced by Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA first vice president and national safety coordinator, Homendy proceeded to demonstrate why she has earned that label.

Homendy began her remarks with a dramatic and detailed retelling of FedEx Express Flight 1432 on Feb. 4, 2023, at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport—a near-miss that could have had catastrophic consequences were it not for the actions of the two pilots on the flight deck working together. She emphasized that only by having two pilots on that flight deck were 130 lives saved and disaster averted.

Homendy also spoke at length about the need to eliminate the cargo carveout in flight-time and duty-time regulations, calling on the FAA to “address it now, before an accident occurs.” She said that while some pilot groups have been able to collectively bargain for certain protections, “safety is not negotiable” and should not need to be addressed in bargaining.

The NTSB chair commended ALPA’s efforts on mental health advances, particularly the Association’s leadership role in the recent FAA Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). “That’s what labor does,” she noted. “You show up for each other.”

She advocated strongly for implementation of each of ARC’s recommendations to decrease stigma and increase access, allowing more pilots in need to get help. “All too often,” she remarked, “pilots are faced with a choice they shouldn’t have to make: life or livelihood.”

Homendy closed her keynote and the Air Safety Forum with a promise. “I am with you,” she said. “The NTSB is with you. We are not going back on safety.” She underscored that collaboration between ALPA and the NTSB is crucial. “Together,” she said. “That’s the only way—the only way—we remain the gold standard for safety.”

ALPA Honors Its Best and Brightest at Awards Banquet

The 68th Air Safety Forum wrapped up on Thursday evening with this year’s awards banquet, which was held to honor those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO) or who have demonstrated exceptional skill and professionalism as aviators. The annual awards are a tradition that dates back to 1957 when ALPA presented its very first Air Safety Award to Captain E.A. “Ernie” Cutrell for his work on a centerline approach lighting system. Since then, the banquet has served to highlight the work of ALPA’s ASO volunteers and recognize those pilots who have displayed excellence in the performance of their duties.

Four awards are presented to volunteers for their work related to safety, security, jumpseat, and pilot assistance. In addition, the Superior Airmanship Award is presented to flight crews who have exhibited extraordinary ability and judgment during extremely difficult and stressful circumstances. The ASO awards were presented by Captain Wendy Morse, ALPA first vice president and national safety coordinator, along with each of the ASO group chairs. ALPA’s president, Captain Jason Ambrosi, presented the Superior Airmanship awards to two flight crews.

“We are proud to honor the recipients of this evening’s annual awards in recognition of their outstanding work and contributions as pilots and leaders in our union,” said Morse. “They set an example for pilots around the world and uphold our union’s tradition of service to others and an unwavering dedication to excellence.”

Air Safety Organization Award Recipients

Air Safety Award: First Officer Stacey Jackson (WestJet)
Aviation Security Award: Captain William Schild (FedEx Express)
Pilot Assistance Award: First Officer Carrie Braun (JetBlue)
Aviation Jumpseat Award: Captain Charles “Cap” Perkins (Hawaiian, Ret.)

Superior Airmanship Award Recipients

First Officer Emily Wiprud, Alaska Flight 1282
Captain Hugo Carvajal and First Officer Robert Bradeen Jr., FedEx Express Flight 1432

First Officer Emily Wiprud received the award for the skill and professionalism she demonstrated when her aircraft experienced rapid depressurization caused by the left mid-exit door plug departing the airplane. Captain Hugo Carvajal and First Officer Robert Bradeen Jr. were honored with the award for their judgment and decisive action in executing a go-around to avoid collision with another aircraft that was taking off on the same runway.

“Our two crews being honored here tonight overcame major challenges, led by example, and exemplified determination and courage,” said Ambrosi. “These flight crews—with two pilots in each airplane—were both necessary to ensure a safe outcome with no loss of life. Without two pilots, the results may have been very different. ALPA will always promote the need for two pilots on the flight deck at all times on every airline flight. That’s non-negotiable.”

Air Safety Forum Awards Banquet Flickr Photo Album

More to Come!

Look for more detailed coverage of the Air Safety Forum in the October issue of Air Line Pilot magazine.

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