Global View: One Voice, Heard Around the Globe

International Aviation Advocacy Efforts at IFALPA

By Molly Martin, Contributing Writer

One hundred member pilot associations from around the world gathered in New Orleans, La., April 15–18 for the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) 71st annual conference. Pilot leaders discussed issues facing the global piloting profession, including atypical employment business models such as Norwegian Air International’s flag-of-convenience labor scheme, safely integrating unmanned aircraft into global airspace systems, and addressing pilot fatigue with risk management systems. ALPA is the sole representative for U.S. and Canadian pilots at IFALPA.

With an emphasis on building relationships with pilots around the world, participants discussed IFALPA’s main role of influencing aviation policy at the highest level—the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the aviation arm of the United Nations. Delegates discussed in plenary and in committee meetings best practices for developing standards internationally and implementing them through IFALPA’s seat at ICAO, the global voice for airline pilots.

On April 16, IFALPA honored Capt. Don Wykoff (Delta) with the Clarence N. Sayen Award, the highest federation honor. Capt. Martin Chalk (British Airways), IFALPA’s president, cited some of Wykoff’s accomplishments as a pilot advocate, including the monumental task of moving IFALPA’s advocacy agenda forward by securing a position for IFALPA as an observer on the ICAO Air Transport Regulation Panel and successfully restructuring the federation’s resources, moving the offices to Montreal, Qué, Canada, to better influence aviation policy through ICAO.

Wykoff thanked the federation, noting that the pilots in the room are the global leaders of the piloting profession. As the former IFALPA president, he ended his remarks with a tip for those following in his ranks. “Leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.”

In the course of conference business, delegates elected six ALPA pilots to IFALPA leadership positions.

Executive Committee Officers
» Deputy President—Capt. Ron Abel (United), replacing Capt. Chris Lynch (United)

Executive Vice Presidents (Region)
» Executive Vice President (EVP) North America Region—Capt. Michael Geer (Delta), replacing Capt. Mike Pinho (Delta)

Regional Vice Presidents
» U.S./CEP—Capt. Boyd Kelly (Delta)
» Canada/Artic—Capt. Peter Black (First Air)

Standing Committee Chairmen
» Air Traffic Services (ATS)—Capt. Rip Torn (Delta)
» Dangerous Goods (DG)—Capt. Scott Schwartz (FedEx Express), replacing F/O Mark Rogers (United)

Capt. Rod Lypchuk (Jazz Aviation) will continue to serve as IFALPA executive vice president administration, membership, and finance, and Capt. Mike Hynes (United) will maintain his role as the regional vice president for the North Atlantic region.

IFALPA also recognized several outgoing committee chairs and officers, including Rogers, Lynch, and Pinho for their work advancing aviation safety and the piloting profession worldwide.

Chalk ended the conference saying, “The value of us coming together is to protect our members and enhance their lives, and the profession as whole,” adding, “It is about us working together and speaking with one voice.” The next IFALPA conference will be held May 4–7, 2017, in Montréal, hosted by the federation.

IFALPA Pilot Leaders Join Forces to Deny NAI

As the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) 71st annual conference started, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) tentatively approved Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) application to fly to and from the United States. With this decision, NAI gains an enormous unfair competitive advantage over U.S. and European airlines, which are required to do business under a different set of labor contracts.

“This is a direct affront to fair competition in the global aviation marketplace,” said Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA’s president, during a special announcement from the plenary floor following the EVP–North America report from Capt. Mike Pinho (Delta). “And we will fight back. We will work together with the pilots in this room to continue to advocate for a level playing field, where pilots can compete without facing labor schemes such as NAI.”

On April 16, IFALPA’s 100,000 pilots in 100 member associations joined forces to stand up against destructive atypical labor practices, asking the appropriate governments to take action. “We call on both the U.S. DOT as well as the European Commission to reconsider this tentative decision and to either deny NAI’s application or require NAI to commit to [en]sure that either full U.S. or European employment standards are applied to its employees.”

Read more about the DOT’s tentative decision regarding NAI on page 9, and take ALPA’s newest Call to Action to Deny NAI by visiting www.alpa.org/denynai.

 

6th Annual Global Pilots’ Symposium

On April 14, 325 pilot leaders from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) and three global alliances—the Associations of Star Alliance Pilots, the Oneworld Cockpit Crew Coalition, and the SkyTeam Pilots Association—met at the Global Pilots’ Symposium to explore the future challenges and opportunities that airline pilots around the world face in today’s competitive global marketplace.

“Good relationships are the root for success,” said Capt. Martin Chalk (British Airways), IFALPA’s president. “And this conference is where we build and foster those relationships.”

Several ALPA pilots and staff participated in panel discussions, including Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA’s president, who discussed management-labor relations; Capt. Paul Ryder (ExpressJet), ALPA’s national resource coordinator, who led a discussion on the global pilot supply issue; and Lori Garver, ALPA’s general manager, who talked about views of the profession’s future from the front office.

“You must have a relationship with your management,” Canoll said. “You will make no decision without it. The challenge is creating a proactive, positive environment to work in, and we all know that produces results for everyone.”

Various subject-matter experts from ALPA’s Leadership Committee and Pilot Assistance groups also gave presentations, providing attendees with information about essential assistance programs that help pilots when they need it most and tools to refine pilots’ leadership skills. Participants also discussed social media’s role in today’s environment with a digital media strategist.

Hosted by ALPA in New Orleans, La., the symposium delivered a 2020 vision for the future of the airline piloting profession. For more information, including photos and presentations, visit www.globalpilotssymposium.com.

Managing Pilot Fatigue

Capt. Don Wykoff (Delta) and Jim Johnson, a managing attorney in ALPA’s Legal Department who specializes in pilot fatigue and Part 117 interpretations, addressed the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) conference attendees along with Stephen Creamer, the director of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Air Navigation Bureau, about the pilot’s role in fatigue management systems. “We have to show up fit for duty, and we have to report fatigue hazards,” Wykoff said. “That’s a very important role for us.”

Wykoff outlined what’s needed for a successful fatigue management program of any kind, including the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved. He stressed that data need to be deidentified and confidential to build pilots’ trust in the system. Johnson, who also serves as vice chairman of IFALPA’s legal advisory group, discussed developing a just safety culture, including what that means for the pilots flying the line.

Wykoff and other subject-matter experts work at the ICAO level to share best practices for fatigue mitigation. “We’re really interested in developing guidance and standards that can be implemented,” Creamer said.&

Looking for ways to manage fatigue? Check out the Fatigue Management Guide for Airline Operators, which includes prescriptive and performance-based fatigue management approaches. Visit www.alpa.org and log in to download the guide.

 

Do You Fly to Brazil?

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) delegates voted unanimously to deem Brazilian airspace as insufficient, as the Brazilian authorities have failed to act upon concerns already raised regarding launching very large balloons (900 kilograms, filled with fireworks) within Brazilian airspace. The IFALPA statement reads: “These balloons present extreme danger to aircraft departing and arriving at airports and the operations in the enroute airspace. IFALPA directs the Executive Board to take the appropriate measures necessary to ensure the dangerous situation is resolved in the shortest time possible.” With the Olympic Games coming to Brazil in two months, this safety issue was at the top of the agenda.

This article was originally published in the May 2016 issue of Air Line Pilot.

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