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News from ALPA International |
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March 26, 2013 |
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Read the New Issue of Air Line Pilot
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 Get
the scoop on
international issues and
find out why what
happens globally affects
you locally. Read why
the ALPA Emergency
Relief Fund needs your
ongoing support to
provide immediate
assistance to ALPA
pilots in need. Learn
how ALPA is working
closely with air traffic
controllers to improve
lines of communication.
Plus, find out what ALPA
pilot safety reps are
doing to make runways
safer.
All of this and more
is in the
April 2013
issue of Air Line
Pilot magazine.
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PDT Pilots Make Contract Gains |
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Piedmont pilots,
represented by the Air
Line Pilots Association,
Int’l, have ratified the
tentative agreement
reached with the company
in early February. With
nearly 90 percent of the
eligible pilots voting,
78 percent voted in
favor of the new
collective bargaining
agreement.
The new contract
includes a signing
bonus, annual pay
increases, and an
agreement with US
Airways mainline to
provide career
progression
opportunities for
Piedmont pilots. The
pilots also agreed to
contribute more to their
health care, bringing
their contributions more
in line with the rest of
the industry.
Read more.
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ALPA Security Alert Addresses Cockpit Access |
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ALPA has issued Security
Alert Bulletin 2013-02
in response to an
attempt last week by an
unauthorized individual
to gain access to a
flight deck jumpseat.
This event reminds us of
how important it is to
be vigilant in our
security practices. The
bulletin outlines
specific recommendations
for ALPA crews to
follow.
Read Security
Alert Bulletin 2013-02.
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ALPA to Participate in Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit |
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 ALPA
president Capt. Lee Moak
will participate as a
panelist discussing
“Future Trends in
Aviation” as part of the
U.S. Chamber of
Commerce’s 12th Annual
Aviation Summit,
scheduled for this
Thursday in Washington,
D.C.
The panel discussion
will begin at 3:45 p.m.
Other panelists include
Paul Rinaldi, president
of the National Air
Traffic Controllers
Association, and Capt.
Steve Dickson, senior
vice president–Flight
Operations for Delta Air
Lines. The panel will be
moderated by Ed Bolen,
president and CEO of the
National Business
Aviation Association.
Read more.
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New ALPA-Supported Laser Law Sends Strong Message |
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A strong message is
being sent to
individuals who may
consider entertaining
themselves by shining
lasers at aircraft:
doing so can send you to
prison. Yesterday, a
19-year-old man from
North Hollywood, Calif.,
was sentenced to 30
months in federal prison
for shining a laser at a
business jet preparing
to land at Burbank
Airport on March 29,
2012, and at a Pasadena
police helicopter that
same night. The man was
charged under provisions
of legislation called
the “Securing Aircraft
Cockpits Against Lasers
Act of 2010,” which was
passed by Congress with
strong ALPA support.
Signed into law Feb.
14, 2012, the Act makes
it a criminal offense to
knowingly point a laser
at an aircraft or its
path, provides for fines
of up to $250,000,
and/or imprisonment of
up to five years.
Read more.
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NTSB to Hold Forum on Lithium Ion Battery Carriage |
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 The
National Transportation
Safety Board yesterday
announced that a forum
titled “Lithium Ion
Batteries in
Transportation” will be
held April 11–12.
According to a
statement released
yesterday, “The forum
will focus on three
areas: (1) the design,
development, and
performance of lithium
ion batteries; (2)
regulations and
standards related to
manufacturing, use, and
transport of the
batteries; and (3) the
application and safety
aspects of lithium
battery technology in
various transportation
modes.
Read more.
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 FedEx
Express plans to
purchase up to 30 B-757s
from United Airlines and
convert them to carry
cargo as part of the
carrier's fleet renewal
strategy . . . Sun
Country will offer new
service beginning July 1
from Minneapolis–St.
Paul to Chicago . . .
The new on-campus sports
arena at the University
of Alaska–Anchorage will
be known as the Alaska
Airlines Center . . .
Watch a
CBC News report on
Canadian North Airlines’
recent growth . . .
Brock Friesen was
appointed the new
president and CEO of
First Air. Interim
president and CEO Chris
Ferris now serves as
First Air’s executive
vice president for
marketing and sales . .
. Hawaiian signed a
purchase agreement with
Airbus to acquire 16
A321neos as part of the
airline’s plan to add
routes between the
islands and the West
Coast . . . Island Air
plans to jumpstart
service to Kahului on
April 15 and will
eliminate service to
Kapalua as of May 31.
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ALPA’s USEPA Pilots Further Collaborate |
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Members of ALPA’s US
Airways Express Pilots
Alliance (USEPA) met
with their American
Eagle counterparts this
week to further their
collaboration amidst the
ongoing American–US
Airways merger proposal.
USEPA consists of pilot
leaders from Air
Wisconsin, Mesa,
Piedmont, PSA, and Trans
States. Also in
attendance were ALPA
Vice President of
Administration Bill
Couette, Managing
Attorney Marcus Migliore,
and Manager of
Representation Andrew
Shostack. Discussions
this week focused on
ALPA merger policy, as
provided in Section 45
of the Administration
Manual. Though there has
been no indication of
any consolidation among
the regional carriers
flying within the US
Airways and American
systems, ALPA pilots are
preparing for every
possible scenario—from a
transaction to a shift
in flying. This
planning, they believe,
will best enable them to
be proactive in finding
mutually beneficial
solutions to potential
challenges, as well as
to enhance the
opportunities and
stability of all pilot
groups directly and
indirectly affected by
the mainline merger.
Read more.
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Closure of 149 Towers Announced |
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Late last week, the FAA
announced the
closure of 149 air
traffic control towers
in 46 states as part of
its reduced operating
budget set in motion by
sequestration. The
facilities will be
closed over a four-week
period beginning April
7. All of the affected
towers are staffed by
contract air traffic
controllers, as opposed
to controllers who are
direct FAA employees.
The FAA indicated
that in deciding which
towers to close, it
considered “(1)
significant threats to
national security as
determined by the FAA in
consultation with the
Department of Defense or
the Department of
Homeland Security; (2)
significant, adverse
economic impact that is
beyond the impact on a
local community; (3)
significant impact on
multi-state
transportation,
communication, or
banking/financial
networks; and (4) the
extent to which an
airport currently served
by a contract tower is a
critical diversionary
airport to a large hub.”
FAA Administrator
Michael Huerta
commented, “We will work
with the airports and
the operators to ensure
the procedures are in
place to maintain the
high level of safety at
non-towered airports.”
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The “Countdown” in today’s POLITICO Morning Transportation briefing says,
“Sequestration has been in effect for 26 days and it’s been 56 days since
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced his departure.” Return to top
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Most Recent FastRead Issues |
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Feedback & E-mail Address Changes |
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| Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at
communications@alpa.org. If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail
address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you
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www.alpa.org and logging
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instructed how to make the necessary changes. If you don’t have access to the
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membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other
information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us
what information needs to be updated. Please note that it is not sufficient
just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with
the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon. Can’t remember your member number
or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and
other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting
membership@alpa.org. Return to top
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Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW
| Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270 |
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