August 8, 2024. Media contact: media@raa.org
Washington, DC – Washington, D.C. – The Regional Airline Association (RAA) applauds the recent release of the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ACT ARC) Report, which includes recommendations based on a year of focused work by a diverse group of aviation safety and training experts. The ACT ARC working group was comprised of safety and pilot training experts, as well as organizations like the Regional Airline Association (RAA), Airlines for America (A4A), the National Air Disaster Foundation (NADF), the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Coalition of Airline Pilots Association (CAPA), CAE, Inc., National Air Carrier Association (NACA), Flight Safety International (FSI), and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) amongst other industry experts.
The unanimous recommendation calls for the FAA to strengthen pilot training and improve safety. “This pivotal report reflects the consensus of a broad array of pilot training experts, unified behind a recommendation that FAA create additional, structured-training based pilot qualification pathways to improve safety. FAA must now act swiftly to create new, safety-enhancing R-ATP pathways,” noted RAA CEO Faye Malarkey Black.
This ACT ARC recommendation comes on the heels of a separate provision in the recently enacted FAA Reauthorization bill (“Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act”) that requires FAA to create an additional, airline-based Enhanced Qualification R-ATP Pathway to complement existing pilot qualification pathways within six months of enactment. The deadline for FAA Action on the Enhanced Qualification Pathway is Nov. 16, 2024, and RAA urges FAA to meet this critical deadline set by Congress.
Together, these actions reflect a strong consensus among experts and regulators that there is a better way to train and prepare pilots. RAA stands ready to support these initiatives.
For more information on the FAA ATC ARC Report, click here.
About RAA
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable, and strong regional airline industry. RAA serves as an important support network connecting regional airlines and industry business partners. Regional airlines operate 35% of U.S. scheduled passenger flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to 64% of the nation’s airports. Regional airlines provide more than 70% of the air service in Alabama (72%), Alaska (88%), Arkansas (75%), Maine (72%), North Dakota (87%), South Dakota (75%), Vermont (77%), West Virginia (92%) and Wyoming (73%). Regional airlines provide more than half of the air service in Idaho (70%), Indiana (56%), Iowa (63%), Kansas (69%), Kentucky (58%), Mississippi (68%), Montana (65%), Nebraska (53%), New Hampshire (58%), and Rhode Island (58%).