Thune Amendment To FAA Reauthorization Bill Would Lower Time Required To Fly Airliners

Senate Commerce Committee Chair John Thune offered, and the committee adopted, an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill that would lower the amount of time required for a pilot to become a first officer on U.S. Airlines.

The amendment "preserves the strong safety requirements in the law but at the same time makes it a little bit easier" for regional airlines to hire copilots, Thune said. The amendment does not specify what the new requirements would be, according to The Buffalo News.

The amendment was blasted by ALPA. In a statement, union president Capt. Tim Canoll said the organization is "extremely disappointed with today’s passage of an amendment in the Senate Commerce Committee that will weaken airline pilot training, qualification, and experience requirements put in place by Congress in 2010 to make flying safer in the wake of more than 30 airline accidents. Those who supported this amendment will be responsible for endangering the flying public, should it become law.
 
“ALPA commends fellow pilot Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), for leading all the Democrats on the Committee to vote to reject the Thune amendment and maintain the integrity of our safety regulations.

“In the two decades before Congress passed the current pilot qualification requirements, more than 1,100 people were killed in airline passenger accidents. Since lawmakers acted, there have been no fatalities on U.S. passenger airlines (Part 121). The amendment, which was pushed for by profit-motivated special interests, threatens the safety of passengers and air cargo shippers across the nation," Canoll (pictured) said.
 
“Currently, the United States has more than twice as many certified air transport pilots than there are professional pilot jobs. This amendment is being promoted by companies that are attempting an end run around the safety regulations in order to lower workforce costs and line their own pockets. Airline passengers want and deserve safe air transportation across the United States, including in rural and smaller communities like Pierre, South Dakota; Meridian, Mississippi; Joplin, Missouri; and North Platte, Nebraska.
 
“The traveling public should consider what these Senators have done to jeopardize safety. The zero-passenger-fatality record since these pilot qualification, experience, and training requirements were put in place speaks for itself. The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l will not let up on our drive to block any effort to erode the rules that have led to the safest time in history for U.S. airline passengers and cargo shippers. We hope in the coming weeks that we can work with members of the Senate and stakeholders to find avenues to strengthen and incentivize service to small and rural communities without compromising safety.”

(Source: ALPA news release and as cited. Images from file)

FMI: www.alpa.org