This week RAA joined with other major aviation industry trade associations, including A4A, AOPA, GAMA, NBAA, AIA and others in support of the Aviation Working Group’s (AWG’s) amicus petition to the Supreme Court for review of the Florida Supreme Court’s Vreeland decision, which runs contrary to longstanding Federal law protecting lessors, owners, and secured parties from liability for personal injury, death, or property loss caused by aircraft, except when the aircraft is in their actual possession or control. Read the brief.

On December 21, 2011, the Regional Airline Association issued the following press release in response to the FAA Final Fatigue Rule

Washington, DC--The Regional Airline Association recognizes a science-based rule on pilot flight and duty time will advance guidelines for airlines, and RAA is reviewing the comprehensive final flight and duty time rule released today by FAA. 
"The cornerstone of our efforts continues to be safety.  This final rule is a culmination of considerable effort by FAA, pilots and airlines which began with the Aviation Rulemaking Committee established in July 2009 and with RAA and airline member participation," said RAA President Roger Cohen.  "While we are still reviewing the rule, it does open the door for additional research, including our own efforts on a ground-breaking fatigue study of multi-segment operations by Washington State University."

Washington, DC-December 14, 2011- The Regional Airline Association (RAA) Board of Directors elected officers for the 2012 term:  American Eagle’s Dan Garton becomes RAA Chairman; ExpressJet’s Brad Holt, Vice Chairman; Cape Air’s Dave Bushy, Secretary; and Empire Airlines’ Tim Komberec, Treasurer.  Also elected to the Board’s advisory Executive Committee:  Air Wisconsin’s Jim Rankin, Immediate Past Chairman, and Jazz Air’s Joe Randell, At-Large Member. 
 “Each of our 30 member airlines serves on our Board of Directors, empowering every airline to have a full voice guiding our association’s direction and policy,” underlines RAA President Roger Cohen.  “While our members differ vastly in terms of size, ownership and major carrier alliance, the secret sauce is that they share best safety practices and work together collectively to advance the interests of this vital part of the nation’s air transportation system.”
The RAA Associate Member Council (AMC), representing the nearly 200 member companies that provide products and services to the regional airline industry, also confirmed 2012 officers. GE Aircraft Engines’ Andre Robert is the new AMC Chairman.  He will be assisted by Ascent Aviation’s Rick Townsend as Vice Chairman, and SAFRAN Snecma’s Lucas Aardenburg, Past Chairman.
The Fall Board of Directors and AMC meetings were held in conjunction with the first AAAE/RAA Airport & Regional Airline Executive Summit in Memphis December 5-7.  “One of the requests from our airline and associate members was to build stronger relationships between airports and regional airlines, and this successful three-day conference provided an excellent opportunity to develop closer ties to our valued airport partners,” notes Cohen.

Download release.

A united aviation industry coalition of nearly 30 organizations is opposing proposed tax increases, which would lead to significant job loss across all sectors of the industry and the nation.

“This tax would place the heaviest burden on regional airlines that provide the only source of scheduled air service to over 75 percent of the nation’s airports. This jeopardizes air service to some 500 U.S. communities relying on regional airlines exclusively for their scheduled flights. "Make no mistake: This tax jeopardizes air service at places where air service is the only link to the global economy, putting smaller communities out of business."

-- Roger Cohen, president, Regional Airline Association

RAA joined 11 trade and industry associations today to support HR 2594. 
We write to urge you to support HR 2594, “The European Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011.” This legislation prohibits U.S. aviation operators from complying with the application of the European Union’s emissions trading scheme to international aviation because the scheme violates U.S. sovereignty, international law and the Chicago Convention. The EU ETS is opposed by the Obama Administration, aviation trade associations, airlines and other operators, travel service providers, manufacturers, labor unions, a bipartisan coalition in both bodies of Congress, and numerous foreign governments. 
Continue reading here.

Source: Wall Street Journal
By SUSAN CAREY
Airlines are expressing alarm over an Obama administration proposal to help cut the federal deficit by imposing a new tax on aviation and raising another.
Carriers, airline labor unions, private pilots, corporate-jet builders and a host of other groups are lobbying hard to make the case to Congress that their barely profitable industry is being unfairly singled out.
"The airline industry is an easy target," said Richard Anderson, chief executive of Delta Air Lines Inc. "Perhaps there's a sense in Washington that wealthy people fly. But over the past 20 to 30 years, flying in the U.S. has been a very middle-class activity."

WASHINGTON, DC--September 20, 2011 – The Regional Airline Association (RAA) today urged Congress to reject two new taxes on airline passengers  proposed yesterday by the President: one tripling the security tax paid by airline passengers and the other imposing a new, $100 per flight tax on each departure regardless of the size of the aircraft. 

These two new taxes which combined would add nearly $900 million in new taxes on passengers ($408M) and airlines ($475M) in just the first year could cause sharp service reductions at all U.S. communities, outright elimination of scheduled air service at potentially hundreds of small- and medium-sized communities, and would aggravate the country’s jobs crisis beginning Day One by threatening the job security of 53,000 airline workers.

"The context and math here is pretty easy to understand”, said RAA President Roger Cohen, “The new per flight tax alone would cost more than all regional airlines likely earned combined last year, jeopardizing the jobs of the 53,000 men and women who work directly for our member airlines and the thousands of other people whose livelihoods are tied to regional airlines.”
 

February 16, 2011

Washington, DC—Regional carrier enplanements are forecast to increase 3.4% to 170.0 million in 2011, and continue to grow 2.8% annually reaching 295.9 million by 2031, the FAA released during its recent 36th Annual Aviation Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C.  Regional carrier RPMs are expected to increase 4.3% in 2011 and continue to rise at an average annual rate of 4.1% for the remaining 20 years of the forecast period.

Washington, DC- Today RAA was joined by several aviation associations in two letters voicing strong support for the Essential Air Service program, which faces elimination in Federal Aviation Reauthorization bills moving through both chambers of Congress.
The letter, jointly signed by ACI, AAAE, NASAO and RAA, underlines:  “Cutting Essential Air Service would serve as a deathblow to the economic health of hundreds of small communities across the nation. Eliminating this important program is the wrong thing to do, and now is the worst time to do it.”
Read the coalition letters to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and to the Senate.
Read more about the program on the RAA website.

Scott Foose

Faye Black

Download the Press Release
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) announced the promotion of two long-time association executives with the naming of Scott Foose to Senior Vice President-Operations and Safety, and Faye Malarkey Black to Senior Vice President-Government Affairs.
“These promotions are well-earned since for more than a decade Scott and Faye have helped guide RAA and our member airlines through perhaps the most challenging times in our industry’s history,” noted RAA President Roger Cohen.  “The RAA Board of Directors and regional airline professionals nationwide have come to rely on their counsel, expertise and commitment to member service, added Cohen. “They are cornerstones of the RAA team, we couldn’t have achieved all we have without their contributions, and with the stakes rising, we’re counting on them even more going forward.”

While the regional airline industry has been asked to evolve and adapt about every 10 years, through it all, this sector has become increasingly relevant, MIT's Bill Swelbar told RAA Fall Meeting attendees. Click here to read his full remarks on his two favorite subjects: the regional airline sector and labor issues.
 
OAG's Sandy Rederer noted that while premium-fare air travel collapsed in 2009, off by more than 30%, a gradual recovery has been noted in 2010.  He forecasts the continuing recovery of the economy can boost both business and leisure travel from current levels.  Airline alliances are getting stronger with mainline mergers back in fashion, he underlined in his presentation. Click here to view.
 
US Regional Airline Fact Sheet is updated with first half 2010 statistics. Click here to view. 

Washington, DC--The Regional Airline Association (RAA) has elected  Jim Rankin (Air Wisconsin) as  Chairman; Dan Garton (American Eagle) Vice Chairman; Keith Houk (PSA Airlines) Treasurer; and Dan Wolf (Cape Air) Secretary.  In addition to electing the new 2011 officers, the membership also extended by one year the terms of each of its current Board of 12 members, which also includes John Bendoraitis (Comair), Tim Komberec (Empire Airlines), Doug Voss (Great Lakes Aviation), Joseph Randell (Jazz Air), Phil Trenary (Pinnacle Airlines), Bryan Bedford (Republic Airways Holdings), Rick Leach (Trans States Holdings) and immediate past chair Russell “Chip” Childs (SkyWest Airlines).

RAA Comments Submitted on Flightcrew Member Duty & Rest Requirements NPRM

Read RAA Press Release on FDT NPRM
Based on its primary objective of improving aviation safety, the Regional Airline Association today filed comments supporting FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt’s aim to combat crew fatigue, while recommending science-based revisions that will ensure airline flight crews are rested and safe.
RAA representatives and member airlines actively participated in the Flight and Duty Time Limitations and Rest Requirements Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) chartered by the Administrator last summer.   RAA earlier had launched its own Strategic Safety Initiative (SSI) which specifically called for a study of pilot commuting and research on identifying pilot fatigue in airline operations. Many of the elements in the SSI have been incorporated into the FAA proposed rulemaking.

Click here to view Roger Cohen's Presentation from the NTSB Airline Code-Sharing Symposium.
Download the RAA Press Release here.

All NTSB Panelists presentations can be found here.

The development of the US code-sharing system between major and regional carriers during the past two decades has provided a safe, professional and reliable system for the traveling public, RAA President Roger Cohen underlined during his presentation today at the NTSB Code-Sharing Symposium in Washington, DC.  “As passengers expect, regional airlines fly under the same gold standards as the majors:  there is one level of safety," said Roger Cohen, underlining that on a voluntary basis, regional carriers have incorporated and advanced numerous safety programs such as ASAP, FOQA and others.

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) has appointed Constance “Connie” Arnold as its Director-Safety & Technical Affairs.  With a wealth of aviation and regulatory experience, Arnold joins RAA from the Technical Operations group at US Airways in Phoenix, where she spent four years holding several key safety, environmental and regulatory compliance roles.  In addition, Arnold was employed by the City of Phoenix for several years working as an environmental quality specialist and safety analyst.

Download the press release here.

RAA is pleased to announce that the 2011 Media Kit is now available. 

Click here to download the media kit.

Download the RAA Press Release

Click here to read the full comments submitted by RAA.

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) today filed comments in response to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing the adoption of additional regulations that intend to improve passenger protections in air travel.

“Providing an outstanding travel experience for our valued customers is a goal RAA shares with its member airlines, the Department of Transportation, and other aviation stakeholders,” said RAA Vice President-Legislative Affairs Faye Malarkey Black.  Black continued: “We urge DOT to reconsider its proposed rule, however, to reduce the possibility of causing unintended confusion or inconvenience to the traveling public, particularly those passengers traveling to or from the 75 percent of our nation’s airports that rely on regional airlines, exclusively, for scheduled air service.” 

RAA statement in response to Fatigue Aviation Rulemaking Committee announcement.
“RAA and its member airlines have been active leaders in the Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) since it began, and support the approach that would allow pilots more rest and give airlines the flexibility to integrate fatigue science into their scheduling practices. In fact, RAA’s pro-active Strategic Safety Initiative launched in June, 2009 has studied and recommended many actions responding to these challenges.
RAA’s member airlines, which provide more than half the nation’s scheduled passenger flights, look forward to continuing these critical efforts with the FAA and all stakeholders throughout the rulemaking process.”

Click here to read the Proposed Rule in the Federal Register- September 14, 2010.

Washington, DC – Underscoring the importance of comprehensive and pro-active safety programs, the Regional Airline Association (RAA) Board of Directors today approved the establishment of the RAA Safety Council.

Wings Financial Credit Union, the first credit union in the country to establish a field of membership serving the aviation industry, announced today that it has been named the official credit union of the Regional Airline Association (RAA).  Wings Financial will partner with the trade association to offer a full range of financial products and services to the employees of its 32 member airlines and qualifying associate members.

Read the full RAA press release.

Tuesday, March 9: Former RAA Board Member,  Bryan Bedford (President and CEO, Republic Airways) will be a panelist  on "Will recovery in aviation lead to a transformed industry?"

Wednesday, March 10: RAA President Roger Cohen will be a panelist on New Decade.......Dawn or Dusk for Regional Carriers?

View Roger Cohen's Presentation-here.

*NEW* Roger Cohen Presentation with annotations- download here

For a full agenda, click here.