Release #13.20
April 26, 2013

ALPA Commends Swift Passage of the Reducing Flight Delays Act

WASHINGTON–Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) issued the following statement commending the swift passage of the Reducing Flight Delays Act, which gives the U.S. Secretary of Transportation the ability to transfer funds within the Federal Aviation Administration’s budget to prevent furloughs of essential employees, including air traffic controllers.

“ALPA pilots commend the leadership of Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), as well as Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and John Thune (R-S. Dak.), for their dedicated efforts to advance this important legislation through the U.S. Congress. Today’s U.S. House vote, together with the approval by the U.S. Senate last night, marks critical progress in getting this country’s air transportation system back to full staffing and giving the nation’s airline industry the opportunity to realize peak efficiency while achieving the highest standards of safety.

“Airline passengers and air cargo shippers, along with pilots, other airline industry employees, and the communities we serve, will all benefit from this bipartisan solution. We urge the Administration to act with all possible haste to ensure that the U.S. air transportation system is positioned to succeed in delivering the highest standards of safety and efficiency.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing more than 50,000 pilots at 34 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703/481-4440 or media@alpa.org