ADVANCING AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY SINCE 1931

Air Safety Organization

Last Update: 2/22/2022

Air Safety Organization Updates

As the world's largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization, the ALPA Air Safety Organization (ASO) has been meeting regularly since the start of the pandemic. 

Alternate COVID-19 Treatments and FAA Medical Reporting

ALPA Programs and Resources

• DART: Ask Your COVID-19 Questions
• Calls to Action (U.S. and Canada)
• Air Safety Organization Bulletins
  • Ops Bulletin: Revised FAA Regulations for Oxygen Mask Use
  • Security Alert: COVID-19 Hardening Our Target
  • Pilot Assistance Bulletin: Professional Pride
  • Safety Alert: Diligence Through Rough Times 
• KCM, CASS, and Jumpseat Availability to Furloughed and Terminated Pilots
• Summary of Relevant Policies and Documents
• Furloughed Pilots Support Program
• Pandemic Action Checklist
• Member Insurance
• Pilot Assistance
  • All Available Programs: Aeromedical, Pilot Peer Support, Human Intervention and Motivation Study, Professional Standards, Critical Incident Response Program, and Canadian Pilot Assistance
  • Pilot Peer Support Quick Reference Handbook: COVID-19
  • An Aviation Professional's Guide to Wellbeing
• AFL-CIO: Coronavirus Advice for Unions
• IFALPA: COVID-19 Guidance for Crews

Travel Warnings and Notices

• CDC:
  • Global Outbreak Notice
  • Risk Assessment by Country
  • Travelers' Health Alerts

• U.S. State Department: 
  • Alert for All Travelers
  • Global Travel Advisory
  • View All Country-Specific Advisories (This list is updated regularly, so check the site often for new advisories.)
• Government of Canada: View all related travel health notices

Airline Industry/Travel Recommendations and Policies

• Commercial Aviation Safety Team: A Reference List of Safety Elements to Monitor During a Period of Dynamic Change
• Manufacturer Guidance on Disinfection
  • Boeing Memo (04/23/2020)
  • Airbus Operators Information Transmission (02/06/2020)
  • EASA Interim Guidance on Aircraft Cleaning and Disinfection (03/20/2020)
• ICAO: 
  • Implementing a Public Health Corridor to Protect Flight Crew During the Covid-19 Pandemic (Cargo Operations) 
  • Operational measures to ensure safe operations during the COVID-19 pandemic 
• DOT:
  • Recommended Actions to Reduce the Risk of COVID-19 Among Transit Employees and Passengers
• Health and Human Services
  • Limited Waiver of HIPAA Sanctions and Penalties During a Nationwide Public Health Emergency
• DHS/CBP/TSA:
  • Advisory Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response
  • Nongovernmental Bodies:
    • ISD Digital Research Unit COVID-19 Disinformation Briefing No. 2
  • U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China 
  • Science and Technology Master Question List for COVID-19 
  • Tracking confirmed cases in TSA officers
  • U.S./Mexico Border Closed to Nonessential Travel
  • Use of Expired Driver's License 
  • Notification of Arrival Restrictions Applicable to Flights Carrying Persons Who Have Recently Traveled From or Were Otherwise Present Within the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland*
  • Notification of Arrival Restrictions Applicable to Flights Carrying Persons Who Have Recently Traveled from or Were Otherwise Present Within the Countries of the Schengen Area 
• TSA Increases Hand Sanitizer Allowance to 12 Ounces
• FAA:
  • Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin: Aircraft Interior Disinfection (11/04/20)
  • Safety Alerts for Operators:
    • SAFO 20008: Transporting Cargo on Transport-Category Airplanes Configured to Carry Passengers (04/15/20)
    • SAFO 20009: COVID-19: Updated Interim Occupational Health and Safety Guidance for Air Carriers and Crews (12/10/20) (View previous version of SAFO 20009)
  • Use of chloroquine (Aralen)/hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) for COVID-19 prophylaxis
  • COVID-19 Relief For Certificate Holders: Policy Deviations, Exemptions, and Rule Changes 
  • Medicals:
    • Medical Exemption* (Applies to International Crews)
    • Enforcement Policy for Expired Airman Medical Certificates* (Applies to Domestic Crews)
  • Drug/Alcohol Testing:
    • Disruptions to Drug and Alcohol Testing Due to COVID-19 
    • DOT Guidance on Compliance with Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulations
  • Oxygen Mask Requirement (Final Rule)
  • Spearphishing Using Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Theme Poses Potential Risk to Aviation Personnel
  • Screening Protocols for Flight and Cabin Crews at U.S. Ports of Entry*
  • Interim Health Guidance for Air Carriers and Crews
  • Novel Coronavirus Update
• DHS: 
  • Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce
  • Clarification for Boarding Crew on "Suspension of Entry" Proclamation 
  • Presidential Proclamation—Travel from Europe
  • Instructions on Screening of Individuals Who Have Been to China
  • White House: Suspension of Entry of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus
• CDC:
  • Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential  COVID-19 Exposures: Geographic Risk and Contacts of Laboratory-confirmed Cases
  • Travel: Frequently Asked Q&A
  • Q&As about the Interim Final Rule for Control of Communicable Diseases: Foreign Quarantine
  • Cleaning and Disinfecting Recommendations:
    • CDC weighs in on active ingredient of Sani-Com's benzalkonium chloride for healthcare workers 
    • EPA-Approved Disinfectants
    • Preventing Spread of Disease on Commercial Aircraft: Guidance for Cabin Crew
    • Updated Interim Guidance for Airlines and Airline Crew
  • Order: Passenger Manifest
  • Death and Disease Reporting Tool for Pilots
• Government of Canada:
  • Global Exemptions: 

    CAME-002-2022: Enables the renewal of medical certificates by telemedicine consultation to holders of medical certificates Category 1, 2, 3, or 4 with a validity period ending on or after March 17, 2020, who wish to avoid a face-to- face medical consultation.  English | Français

  • Passenger pre-screening and facial covering requirements on flights
  • Orders (Search keyword "COVID") 
  • COVID-19 measures, updates, and guidance issued by Transport Canada (Includes explanation of all measures taken, guidance for air carriers and air crew, interim orders for boarding passengers, and extensions to various documents such as medicals): English | Français
  • Posters of Restrictions in Effect for Air Travellers (based on location of travel):
    • In Canada: English | Français
    • Overseas: English | Français
    • From the United States/Transborder: English | Français
  • Recommended Disinfection and Sanitation Practices for Aircraft: English | Français
  • Preventing COVID-19 in the workplace: employers, employees and essential service workers*
  • Aviation measures in response to COVID-19*
• Hong Kong Government: Quarantine Guidance 
• WHO: Advice for International Traffic
• IATA:
  • Restarting aviation following COVID-19: Medical evidence for various strategies
  • Travel Document News: Coronavirus Outbreak
  • Guidelines for Cabin Crews on Suspected Communicable Disease

Reporting Deaths or Illness in Flight

42 CFR 71.21 requires the pilots of international flights to the United States to report before arrival any deaths or illnesses (as defined in the regulations) among passengers or crew to CDC’s quarantine station at or nearest to the airport of arrival. This may be done by a report to ATC or the company using established means for that purpose.

CDC Death and Disease Reporting Tool for Pilots 

 

 

*For additional details from ALPA on resources marked above, see our Summary of Relevant COVID-19 Documents for Flight Crews.