Release #09.015
April 21, 2009

ALPA Commends CanJet Flight 918 Crew

OTTAWA—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.

“Capt. James Murphy, First Officer Glenn Johnson, and the entire CanJet crew rapidly and effectively responded to the threat,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA president. “These professionals’ decisive action in the face of intense pressure protected their passengers, secured their aircraft, and safely defused a dangerous situation. Capt. Murphy and F/O Johnson embody the highest standards of the piloting profession.”

“As professional airline pilots, our first priority is the safety and security of our passengers, crews, and cargo,” agreed Capt. Dan Adamus, president of ALPA’s Canada Board, which represents ALPA’s more than 2,400 pilots at 8 airlines in Canada. “We are thoroughly trained to respond to situations we hope never to encounter. This crew’s actions provided the public with an opportunity to witness the extraordinary professionalism that is the hallmark of airline pilots.”

“The actions these pilots took to secure their passengers and aircraft were exemplary but nothing less than I would expect of all CanJet pilots,” said F/O Steve Spencer, chairman of ALPA’s CanJet pilot group. “We stand united in our commitment to the safety and security of our passengers.”

ALPA will continue to fully support the ongoing investigation into the CanJet Flight 918 event to ensure that every measure is taken to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

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

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

Editor’s Note:
The pilots of CanJet Flight 918 are not granting interviews at this time. We request that members of the news media respect the privacy of the pilots and their families.