Release #: 21.32
June 09, 2021

ALPA Pilots Call on Lawmakers to Pass Bipartisan Fair and Open Skies Act

McLEAN, Va.— Nearly 100 pilot volunteers from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) are meeting with federal lawmakers and staff during the Association’s 2021 Legislative Summit to discuss the importance of preventing foreign airline business schemes that undermine labor rights, safety, and the competitiveness of the U.S. airline industry. By encouraging lawmakers to pass the bipartisan Fair and Open Skies Act (H.R. 3095), ALPA pilots are helping to level the playing field and keep our skies safe.

“The Fair and Open Skies Act enables the Department of Transportation (DOT) to cement the rights of U.S. workers in the basic structure of our country’s air services agreements. Strong worker protections have positioned the U.S. pilot workforce to help create and contribute to a risk-predictive safety culture that has made the U.S. air transportation system the safest in the world,” said Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA president.

During the union’s Legislative Summit, ALPA pilots are taking the message of fair competition directly to U.S. lawmakers, asking for support in requiring that the DOT apply its public-interest test to foreign air carrier permit applications and that European Union airlines that apply for permits comply with U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement labor conditions.

“As ALPA prepares to celebrate our 90th anniversary, it is impossible not to reflect on the many antiworker business practices our pilots have endured and overcome during our long history. While the specific details may differ, these unscrupulous practices pose a common threat: they erode the dignity of work while jeopardizing union workers’ contribution to safety and the critical role that collectively negotiated agreements play in creating a profession that attracts new aviators,” added DePete.

The passage of the Fair and Open Skies Act is one of ALPA’s top DOT priorities, which are designed to further enhance aviation safety. Read more about ALPA's priorities.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 59,000 pilots at 35 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @ALPAPilots.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org