Release #09.062
July 29, 2009

ALPA Congratulates NTSB Chairman Hersman

WASHINGTON – Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement regarding the swearing in of Deborah A. P. Hersman as the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, welcomes Deborah Hersman’s installation as the 12th chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“During her five-year tenure on the NTSB, Chairman Hersman has earned deep respect across the airline industry as a decisive yet compassionate leader during tragic transportation accidents and as a consummate professional who leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of safety.

“Chairman Hersman’s sincere and steadfast dedication to understanding the technical details involved in an incident or accident and her commitment to approaching every issue from a range of viewpoints position her to lead our industry into an ever safer future.

“From on-board fires on passenger aircraft to safety challenges specific to the regional sector of the airline industry, Member Hersman has fully engaged to help forge solutions to address the greatest aviation safety issues of our era. We congratulate Chairman Hersman and look forward to continuing to work together with her to make our industry even safer.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union, representing nearly 54,000 pilots at 36 airlines in the United States and Canada.

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Contact: Linda Shotwell, 703/481-4440 or media@alpa.org