Hawaiian Pilots Respond to Company Earnings Report, Announce $2 Million Grant for Strategic Preparedness
April 29 - With Hawaiian Airlines reporting yet another quarterly profit while still refusing to help pilots keep up with the cost of living, the Hawaiian pilots will receive $2 million from their international union to help them prepare for a strike if one becomes necessary in their struggle to negotiate a fair contract.

ALPA Resoundingly Welcomes AirTran Pilots
April 28 - Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the attached statement in response to the ratification of a merger between ALPA and the National Pilots Association (NPA), which represents nearly 1,700 AirTran Airways pilots.

ALPA Commends CanJet Flight 918 Crew
April 21 - The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) commended the flight and cabin crew for their outstanding efforts to thwart the attempted hijacking of CanJet Flight 918 on Sunday.

Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Name Former ALPA President to Airline’s Board of Directors
April 23 - Hawaiian Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, (ALPA) have appointed a former international president of ALPA as their new representative on the airline’s Board of Directors.

Executive Council Approves AirTran Merger
April 16 - ALPA’s Executive Council unanimously approved the merger agreement with the National Pilots Association (NPA), which represents 1,700 AirTran pilots. The merger will now be sent for final approval to ALPA’s full Executive Board on April 28.

Alaska Airlines Pilots to Vote on a New Contract
April 15 - The pilots of Alaska Airlines, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, are preparing to vote on a new four-year contract, following their union leadership’s approval of a Tentative Agreement. The leadership’s approval follows an Agreement in Concept announced in March.

ALPA Prepares to Welcome AirTran Airways Pilots
NPA Votes Overwhelmingly to Merge with ALPA
April 10 - The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), is extremely pleased by the AirTran pilots’ overwhelming vote in support of a merger with the world’s largest pilots union. A landslide 87% of AirTran pilots cast votes in support of merging with ALPA, with more than 94% of eligible AirTran pilots voting. The National Pilots Association (NPA) currently represents the nearly 1,700 pilots of AirTran Airways.

ALPA and Island Air Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract
Agreement Contains Wage, Work Rules and Other Improvements
April 7 - Island Air pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today announced that they had reached a Tentative Agreement with management after 16 months of contract negotiations. This agreement, if ratified by the pilot group, will provide wage increases, work rule improvements and furlough protection.

Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Picket Honolulu Airport, Launch Advertising Campaign to Jump-Start Stalled Negotiations
April 6 - Saying “Two years is too long” to wait for a fair contract, Hawaiian Airlines pilots picketed at Honolulu International Airport and took out ads in Hawaii’s largest newspapers on Monday in an effort to jump-start stalled negotiations with management.

Spirit Airlines Pilots Score Major Arbitration Victory
Decision Enforces Work Rule and Quality-of-Life Contract Provisions
March 17 - Spirit Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today hailed an arbitration panel decision that orders Spirit management to abide by the current collective bargaining agreement.

ALPA Hosts Second Toledo Users Group Meeting
May 1 - On April 28–29, the Capital Cargo MEC and President’s Committee for Cargo (PCFC), chaired by Capt. Bill McReynolds (FDX), hosted the second meeting of the Toledo Express Airport User Group (TUG) in Toledo, Ohio.

Jumpseat Committee Urges TSA to Address CASS Problems
May 1 - On April 27, ALPA’s Jumpseat Committee chairman, First Officer Rich Odbert (FDX), met with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel to discuss the Cockpit Access Security System (CASS).

IFALPA Safety Bulletin Highlights European ATC Concern
May 1 - The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) has issued a Safety bulletin on behalf of Eurocontrol at 0900 UTC 30 April concerning “go-around” instructions.

ALPA Warns Pilots about New Low-Viz Rules in Canada
April 17 - On April 10, the Association issued ALPA Operations Bulletin 2009-02, “Low/Reduced Visibility Operations at Canadian Airports,” to alert members about new rules governing restrictions on airport surface movements in low-visibility conditions that went into effect at Canadian airports on March 12, 2009. Transport Canada will enforce these rules, which may affect the way you operate.

ALPA Congratulates CAST on Collier Trophy
Award Demonstrates Power of Government-Labor-Industry Collaboration
April 6 - The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, (ALPA) proudly joins in the shared success of all Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) participating organizations in receiving the prestigious 2008 Collier Trophy for advancing aviation safety.

Pilots Raise the Bar on Runway Safety
ALPA challenges airline industry, government to eliminate serious runway incursions altogether
September 25 - Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, set the bar high for runway safety today, challenging both government and industry to establish a goal of zero serious runway incursions involving commercial airliners in his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation.
• Read Capt. Prater’s testimony
• View the “Hold Short for Runway Safety” website

Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety
ALPA Safety, through its Volcanic Ash project under the Air Traffic Services Group, has devoted years to expanding its database of operationally relevant information on this potential hazard and improving the warning system necessary to reduce unplanned encounters of hazardous ash clouds. This new website provides information for greater awareness, recommended practices for avoidance, and what to do in the event of an unexpected encounter. Pertinent videos, maps, and briefings about this dangerous yet fascinating natural phenomenon are included. Click here to launch the website.

The International Directory
ALPA's Air Safety Department has issued an International Directory for international pilots. The Directory includes known expectations of authorities, a listing of major IFALPA associations’ contact information, and U.S. and Canadian government contact information for every country of the world. An ALPA member login is required.

Pilots the World Over Adamantly Oppose Outsourcing Jobs
April 2 - Pilots from around the world are voicing their staunch opposition to the recently announced joint venture between United Airlines and Aer Lingus that will not use United or Aer Lingus crews on new Aer Lingus flights between Washington, D.C., and Madrid, Spain.

ALPA Applauds Babbitt Nomination as FAA Administrator
March 27 - The president of the world’s largest pilots union today heralded the Obama administration’s nomination of Capt. J. Randolph Babbitt as the next FAA Administrator, calling him “a powerful leader who promises to direct the FAA with staunch determination and a deep understanding of the aviation industry.”

DOT Must Scrutinize Virgin America’s Citizenship
March 27 - The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, (ALPA) called on the U.S. Department of Transportation this week to hold a public inquiry if there has been a significant change in the ownership interests in Virgin America.

Need to Modernize U.S. National Airspace System “Critical”
March 18 - In testimony [written/oral] before the U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee today, Capt. Rory Kay, Executive Air Safety Chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), underscored the need for rapid action to modernize the national airspace system to benefit passengers, cargo shippers, and all who depend on air transportation.

ALPA Leaders Meet with Hawaii Governor
President, Local Pilots Brief State Officials on Status of Talks
March 13 - The president of the world’s largest pilots’ union met Thursday with Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle and other state officials to brief the governor on the status of ongoing labor negotiations at Hawaiian Airlines and Island Air.

Well-Trained Crew is Airliner’s Greatest Safety Asset
ALPA Testifies Before Congress on US Airways Flight 1549
February 24 - In his testimony [written/oral] before the U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee today, Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), pointed to the value of a well-trained, professional crew as the most important safety asset on any airline flight, including on US Airways Flight 1549.

Pilots Call for National Energy Policy to Take on Climate Change
ALPA, Aviation Groups Seek to Address Environmental Concerns while Ensuring Safety, Long-Term Economic Health of Industry
February 23 - The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), joined 19 other aviation stakeholders recently in issuing a coalition position paper that outlines the principles the airline industry should follow to take on environmental issues without compromising safety or the industry’s long-term financial health.

ALPA Statement on Continental Connection Flight 3407
February 13 - The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the attached statement regarding the Continental Connection Flight 3407 accident that took place near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, 2009.
ALPA is inviting members and others to donate to ALPA’s Emergency Relief Fund to assist ALPA family members affected by this terrible event.

ALPA Advanced Accident Investigation Course (AI-3)
University of North Dakota (UND)
Grand Forks, North Dakota
June 16-18, 2009
The course will run from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day. Participants should be prepared to attend the three-day training in its entirety. The AI-3 will run until approximately 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, but students are encouraged to participate in an altitude chamber flight or an ATC facility tour/demo Thursday afternoon (if scheduling permits), hosted by UND. Completion of the ALPA Basic Safety School (BSS/AI-1) and Accident Investigation Course (AI-2) is a prerequisite for ALPA Safety Representatives attending this course. ALPA Safety Representatives also require the endorsement of their respective CASC or CAI. There are no prerequisites for non-ALPA attendees. Click here to register.

55th Air Safety Forum
August 3-6, 2009
Omni Shoreham, Washington, D.C.
To register or learn more about ALPA’s 55th Air Safety Forum please click here.
This year multiple events will take place during the Air Safety Forum, including the Jumpseat Forum, the Security Forum and the Pilot Assistance Forum. One theme has been chosen to represent the week – “It takes a pilot…” followed by four subthemes to represent each group; Safety … trained for the unexpected, Security … last line of defense, Jumpseat … promoting captain’s authority, and Pilot Assistance … to listen to another pilot. We look forward to seeing you in August!

Walking the Line
A library of video and photo footage documenting the solidarity of ALPA's pilot family.

Archived Events:

ALPA Representatives, Old and New, Come Together for Leadership Conference
February 24, 2009 - Beginning with a moment of silence for the crewmembers of Colgan Air Flight 3407, more than 80 ALPA leaders from 36 master executive councils convened in Herndon this week for the Association’s annual Leadership Training Conference.

ALPA Grievance Training Prepares Pilot Advocates
November 14, 2008 - Nearly 50 pilot volunteers attended ALPA Grievance Training Seminar this week in an effort to become integrated into the work of bargaining and enforcing contracts. They learned about pertinent terms of the Railway Labor Act, analysis of precedent-setting contract cases, strategic considerations in the grievance process, the role of the system board of adjustment, “proof of matter” considerations, grievance preparation and presentation, first-step disciplinary hearings, and mediation and alternative grievance-resolution processes.