Release #12.05
February 6, 2012

FAA Reauthorization Senate Vote a Win for Aviation Safety
Long-Term Bill Fosters U.S. Airline Industry Economic Competitiveness, Jobs

WASHINGTON – Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement after announcement of the passage by the U.S. Senate of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (H.R. 658), a long-term, multi-year Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization conference report.

“The U.S. Senate’s vote today to pass full, long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization marks a significant accomplishment for the U.S. airline industry and its employees. It allows this country to pursue vital aviation safety research, develop new technology, and modernize the air transportation system while helping to ensure our ability to compete globally and foster economic growth and jobs.

“After 23 short-term extensions, the funding and policy direction provided by this legislation will finally allow the FAA to act decisively to move the United States toward a state-of-the-art air transportation system and position us to meet the challenge of competing with European and Asian countries that are already modernizing their systems. In addition, enhancing this nation’s already high standards of aviation safety and building efficiency will help ensure that millions of airline industry employees around the globe can count on good jobs, now and in the future.

“There’s no doubt that this bill could have been improved by omitting provisions unrelated to aviation safety, but that compromise was necessary to set the stage for today’s passage and to garner the very real benefits that this multi-year reauthorization holds for the traveling and shipping public as well as for airline employees and the U.S. economy. This bill contains important progress on aviation issues ranging from stopping laser attacks on aircraft to protecting safety data and ensuring flight deck doors are installed on all-cargo aircraft.

“For these reasons and others, we respectfully urge President Obama to sign this bill into law with all possible speed.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing more than 53,000 pilots at 37 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