Release #07.041E
August 8, 2007

Air Canada Jazz Captain Robert Perkins Receives ALPA’s Highest Safety Honor
Welland, Ontario Pilot Recognized for Improving Flight Safety at Home and Abroad

WASHINGTON—The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) will recognize Air Canada Jazz Capt. Robert “Bob” Perkins with the 2006 Air Safety Award, the Association’s highest safety honor, for his continuing dedication to improving flight safety for his fellow pilots at home and abroad. This award will be presented on August 9, 2007 at ALPA’s 53rd Annual Air Safety & Security Week and Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C.

“Capt. Perkins’ dedication of time and energy to the cause of aviation safety truly helps to protect passengers, crews, and cargo across North America. That kind of leadership deserves our respect and recognition,” said ALPA President, Capt. John Prater. “Without valuable volunteers like Perkins, ALPA would not be the credible safety advocacy organization it is today.”

Capt. Perkins began his career as a line pilot at Air Ontario (AON) in 1973. When the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association (CALPA) became the certified bargaining agent for Air Ontario in 1987, Perkins’ fellow pilots elected him to serve as Chairman of AON Toronto Council 23. Perkins’ air safety work began in 1992, when he joined various CALPA safety committees that took on issues such as flight and duty times and, what would become his passion in aviation: the airport and ground environment.

When CALPA merged with ALPA in 1997, Perkins continued his long commitment to enhancing air safety, quickly climbing to the role of ALPA Canada Air Safety Chairman. By 2003, he was appointed the Airport and Ground Environment (AGE) Group Vice Chairman of both the Association and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA). The AGE Group is dedicated to advancing airport safety issues that affect the line operations of ALPA members throughout the aviation world by promoting an environment which nurtures collaborative industry activities.

“We’re proud of Capt. Perkins and all he has done,” said Air Canada Jazz Master Executive Council Vice Chairman Rod Lypchuk. “We would like to thank him for all his hard work and dedication over the last number of years.”

In these active leadership roles, Perkins has successfully advocated for a number of programs to reduce the chances of runway incursions including the installation of enhanced airport surface markings and runway status and hold-short lights at airports across North America. He also spearheaded the IFALPA Airport Liaison Representative program, which enhances airport safety by providing an IFALPA Air Safety Representative as a resource to airport management for planning and operation purposes.

“My flight operations team and I congratulate our colleague for his well-deserved distinction. We are very proud of the achievements of Bob Perkins for illustrating the commitment to safety that echoes throughout the entire Jazz organization,” said Air Canada Jazz Vice President of Flight Operations Michel Chiasson. “Bob’s dedication is indicative of a true passion for his work and for safety. We are proud to have him on our team.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA represents more than 60,000 pilots at 41 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org for more information.

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CONTACT: Pete Janhunen, Linda Shotwell, Molly Martin, (703) 481-4440