Allied Pilots Association

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) serves as the certified collective bargaining agent for the 16,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines. APA was founded in 1963 and is the largest independent pilots’ union in the world. APA provides a broad range of representation services for its members and devotes more than 20 percent of its dues income to support aviation safety.

APA IT will perform system maintenance on Wednesday, Feb. 19, beginning at 2359 Central through 0600 Central on Thursday, Feb. 20. Services will be intermittently unavailable during this time.

HEADLINES

APA in the News

WVUE-TV, Feb. 9


Descending: The cost of a sinking airport

Officials at MSY admit the New Orleans airport has been sinking since it was built 60 years ago, and repairs to address related issues have cost as much as $500,000 since 2019. “This clearly is going to impact the timeliness of the flights,” APA spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer told WVUE-TV. “We’ve got to make sure, above all else, it does not affect the safety.” Watch the report ...

 

The Associated Press, Jan. 8


Stowaways on planes and inside landing gear raise worries about aviation security

An entire generation has grown up since the 9/11 attacks without any major catastrophes, which has led some people to get complacent. “We’re seeing some fissure cracks. They’re unacceptable,” APA spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer told the Associated Press. “And we’ve been lucky that it hasn’t been somebody with broader nefarious intent.” Read the article …

 


The Times, Jan. 6


Missile strikes become leading cause of death on commercial flights

APA spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer told The Times of London that pilots want more of a say in determining the risk of a flight route. “Time and again … the men and women that fly the plane are excluded from the decision process of whether or not it’s safe to fly,” he said. Read the article ...

 


WHAT'S HAPPENING

APA Public Statements

Aviation Coalition Underscores Commitment to Safety

Aviation Coalition Underscores Commitment to Safety Our country is mourning after the unthinkable loss of the passengers and crews of Flight 5342, PAT 25, and Med Jets Flight 056. The entire aviation community is united in our grief and our commitment to taking action to ensure accidents like these never happen again. We never take safety for granted, and we never will. Aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the world. Nearly 50,000 flights take off and land safely each day in the U.S., and our National Airspace System remains the gold standard of safety. “We have the safest skies in the whole world,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said. “Traveling by air is the safest mode of transportation.” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy echoed that, saying, “I assure you that the safest mode of transportation is air travel. It is incredibly safe.” We are confident that the NTSB, working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Defense (DOD), and other parties, will identify root causes and issue recommendations for the aviation industry and the U.S. military to prevent future accidents. The work of Chair Homendy, NTSB Board Member Todd Inman, other NTSB Members, and the NTSB staff is critical for responding to these accidents and making our system even safer. As Member Inman recited days ago, “Through tragedy, we draw knowledge to improve the safety for us all.” We strongly support this important work and urge policymakers to ensure that the NTSB and the FAA have the staffing and resources needed to ensure that the U.S. aviation system is safe and efficient and can continue to innovate. We will find out what caused the terrible tragedies last week. We will learn from them. We will undoubtedly make changes. And by making an incredibly safe system even safer, we will honor the passengers, crew members, and U.S. servicemembers who have been lost. Aeronautical Repair Station Association Air Line Pilots Association, International Air Traffic Control Association Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Airlines for America Airports Council International – North America Association of Flight Attendants-CWA American Association of Airport Executives Association of Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International Aviation Technical Education Council Cargo Airline Association Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations Experimental Aircraft Association Inc. General Aviation Manufacturers Association Global Business Travel Association International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers International Council of Air Shows National Agricultural Aviation Association National Air Carrier Association National Air Traffic Controllers Association National Air Transportation Association National Association of State Aviation Officials National Business Aviation Association Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO Recreational Aviation Foundation Regional Airline Association Travelers United U.S. Travel Association Vertical Aviation International Vertical Flight Society

We Extend Our Deepest Condolences

We Extend Our Deepest Condolences On behalf of the 16,000 pilots of American Airlines we are honored to serve, we extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of all who perished in Wednesday’s accident at DCA. We share your grief and are keenly aware of the far-reaching impact of this tragedy. We also want to acknowledge the first responders who remain on the scene for the recovery effort. They have been working tirelessly in extremely challenging conditions. With the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the accident now underway, it is essential to refrain from speculation about the cause. APA’s safety team will remain in close contact with their counterparts at American Airlines, and we are committed to learning all we can from the investigation. APA stands ready to support our ALPA and AFA-CWA colleagues in whatever way we can. As pilots, we belong to an extended airline family, and their loss is our loss. Humbly, FO Nick Silva, APA President CA Chris Torres, APA Vice President FO Patrick Clark, APA Secretary-Treasurer CA Paul McFarland, BOS Domicile Chair CA Gemma Meehan, BOS Domicile Vice Chair CA Heather Boulanger, CLT Domicile Chair FO Hickory Ham, CLT Domicile Vice Chair CA Chris Wachter, DCA Domicile Chair CA Thomas Lawler, DCA Domicile Vice Chair CA Brian Smith, DFW Domicile Chair FO Jason Gustin, DFW Domicile Vice Chair CA Bill Evans, LAX Domicile Chair CA Timothy Dick, LAX Domicile Vice Chair CA Mark Lokey, LGA Domicile Chair CA Jim Scanlan, LGA Domicile Vice Chair CA Jay Wilhelm, MIA Domicile Chair FO Jamie Funderburk, MIA Domicile Vice Chair CA Wes Smith, ORD Domicile Chair FO Paul Meyers, ORD Domicile Vice Chair FO Michael Drost, PHL Domicile Chair CA Brian Sweep, PHL Domicile Vice Chair CA Michael Saracino, PHX Domicile Chair CA Jeremy Ryder, PHX Domicile Vice Chair

Accident at DCA Involving PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700

Accident at DCA Involving PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 The Federal Aviation Administration issued the following statement a short time ago: “A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.” While we await additional information, we urge you to keep in mind the peer-support resources available to all APA members , including Project Wingman, the Sudden Grief Response Program, and the Critical Incident Response Program. Please do not hesitate to reach out. APA volunteers are here for you 24/7. We will provide additional information as soon as we are able to do so in accordance with NTSB protocols. In the meantime, please stay safe, watch out for one another, and join us in keeping all involved in your thoughts and prayers.

Our Deepest Condolences

Our Deepest Condolences Our hearts go out to the families of the crewmembers and passengers killed or injured in the Azerbaijan Airlines incident in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25 and the Jeju Air accident in South Korea on Dec. 29. APA extends its deepest condolences to everyone affected. These back-to-back tragedies serve as a reminder of our profession’s inherent risks. Managing those risks to the best of our abilities to help ensure the safety of our operation is our highest calling as pilots, and we are committed to learning as much as we can about the contributing factors with the hope of preventing any recurrence. Your APA Safety and Security teams will continue monitoring all developments regarding these events with the goal of making relevant information available to our pilots as quickly as possible.

APA’s Legislative Priorities

APA makes its voice heard on Capitol Hill.

Video Highlight

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