Release #: 10.18
June 23, 2010

ALPA Lauds Senate NTSB Confirmations

Pilots Eager to Work with New Members to Advance Safety

WASHINGTON – The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), commends the U.S. Senate’s recent confirmation of Earl F. Weener and Mark Rosekind as the newest members of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“The pilots of ALPA are pleased that, with the confirmations of Dr. Weener and Dr. Rosekind by the U.S. Senate, the National Transportation Safety Board stands at its full complement of aviation safety professionals,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president.

Prater pointed to Dr. Weener’s noteworthy achievements in creating solutions for some of aviation’s most serious safety issues, including reducing runway excursions, addressing controlled flight into terrain, and working toward eliminating factors leading to accidents during approach and landing.

In describing Dr. Rosekind’s professional background in pilot fatigue, Prater underscored that his expertise will serve the industry well as the Board pursues its long-standing goal of modern flight- and duty-time regulations and minimum rest requirements for pilots that are based on science. “Transportation worker fatigue has been featured on NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since its inception in 1990,” added Prater. “We are eager to work with Dr. Rosekind to address the critical issue of pilot fatigue.”

“ALPA has supported the extremely important work of the NTSB for decades,” concluded Prater. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the Board now at full strength, under the leadership of Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman, to pursue the highest possible standard of safety for our industry.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing nearly 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

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

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