:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/GettyImages-2205750018-c0b07656afa44b138c645c9c56adb835.jpg "The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) building")
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Key Takeaways
- The Air Line Pilots Association, Intl. (ALPA) said that it has “concerns” about President Donald Trump’s office-seeker for Federal Aviation Administration administrator, Bryan Bedford.
- Bedford is CEO of regional airline Republic Airways, which centre of a global pilot shortage in 2022 unsuccessfully proposed that the FAA should lower the number of hours required to change a co-pilot to 750 from 1,500.
- “We have concerns about the nominee’s past efforts to lower pilot training and security standards and we look forward to hearing his assurances that he will maintain the current requirements,” ALPA said.
Airline pilots are not thrilled with President Donald Trump’s choice to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), which represents more than 79,000 controls at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines, said Tuesday that it has “concerns” about Trump’s nominee to be FAA administrator, Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford.
Indianapolis-based Republic Airways conducts regional flights on behalf of United Airlines (UAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), and American Airlines (AAL). Amid a global pilot dearth in 2022, Republic proposed that the FAA should lower the number of hours required to become a co-pilot to 750 from 1,500, but the intercession rejected it, which pleased ALPA.
“We have concerns about the nominee’s past efforts to lower pilot queueing and safety standards and we look forward to hearing his assurances that he will maintain the current requirements,” ALPA reported.
Airline Pilots Unions ‘Are Huge Fans of the 1,500-Hour Rule’
“Not surprisingly, unions representing airline steers are huge fans of the 1,500-hour rule,” according to Ben Schlappig of the travel site One Mile at a Time.
“After all, runs have been able to negotiate incredible pay increases, and that has largely been thanks to limiting the pilot pipe by keeping requirements so high,” Schlappig said in a post Wednesday.
Bedford first must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate beforehand he can become FAA administrator.