Release #09.012
April 6, 2009

ALPA Congratulates CAST on Collier Trophy
Award Demonstrates Power of Government-Labor-Industry Collaboration

WASHINGTON, D.C.—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.

“CAST’s tremendous collective effort began more than 10 years ago with ALPA as a charter member,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “Today, through the tremendous resources provided by many organizations and the tireless dedication of hundreds of individuals, CAST has eliminated significant risks and created a quantum leap in aviation safety.”

In 1998, Vice-President Al Gore, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey created the Safer Skies Program, which led to the development of the government-industry Commercial Aviation Safety Team. CAST was charged with reducing the airline fatal accident rate by 80 percent over a 10-year period from 1997-2007.

CAST employs a disciplined, data-driven approach of analyzing safety information, identifying accident precursors, developing specific safety enhancements to address these precursors, implementing and tracking the success of the specific safety enhancement, and using that information to improve the overall safety of the air transportation system. CAST has developed a consensus list of 70 safety enhancements. To date, 48 safety enhancements have been completed and 22 are under way.

“The Collier Trophy and the remarkable success of CAST is a tribute to the powerful potential of government-labor-industry collaboration and the tremendous benefit that it holds for all who rely on air transportation,” concluded Prater. “ALPA looks forward to continuing to work with CAST in what must be a relentless pursuit of an ever-safer aviation industry.”

Established in 1911, the Collier Trophy is a national award honoring those who have made significant achievements in advancing aviation. This is the third time that ALPA has been part of the Collier Trophy award. The first award was given in 1995 for the Association’s work on the Boeing 777 aircraft design. ALPA received its second Collier Trophy in 2008, when the Association was recognized as part of the team developing ADS-B.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union representing more than 52,250 pilots at 35 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.

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