President and COO of SkyWest- Russell "Chip" Childs- Speaker

Monday, March 22nd
Capital Hilton
Reserve your tickets today! Link to the Aero Club-www.aeroclub.org/luncheons.htm

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?

For a full agenda, click here.

Convention Schedule of Events NOW Available

Book your HOTEL ROOMS now for the RAA Annual Convention! 

RAA wants this website to be the first place the public goes to for information on the regional aviation industry.  On December 15, the new and more user friendly RAA website was unveiled.  RAA members will have exclusive access to content, and for the first time, the RAA Annual Convention website will be part of the main website.   If you need immediate access, please contact the RAA staff person who heads up your committee and a temporary login and password will be provided.  You can also request a password by entering your email address and your password will be sent to you.

RAA sent the following letter to Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica prior to today's hearing "Update: The Federal Aviation Administration's Call to Action on Airline Safety and Pilot Training".  Click here to view the letter.

Cape Air Carries Medical Teams and Supplies to Haiti

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) today welcomed the release of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) report, “Answering the Call to Action on Airline Safety and Pilot Training.” The report describes the progress made in response to FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s June 2009 Call to Action on airline safety.

Read the USA Today Editorial

Read the RAA Opposing View- Opposing view: Code-sharing benefits fliers

 The most recent issue of Regional Horizons is now available to download!  This issue features the first Chairman's column by new RAA Board Chair, Russell "Chip" Childs, a recap of the RAA Fall Meeting, and the latest information on the the RAA Safety Task Force.

Conde Nast Traveler and the Wall Street Journal  each posted stories about the regional airline industry recently. The RAA wrote the editors following the stories being published in order to reemphasize our commitment to safety and outline our own Strategic Safety Initiative which is at the forefront of aviation research.

Read the RAA response to Conde Nast's Traveler magazine article
Read  the RAA response to the Wall Street Journal article

The Regional Airline Association today blasted the Department of Transportation's decision to move forward with slot confiscation at New York metropolitan airports.

Despite overwhelming and near-unanimous opposition from government, industry and community stakeholders, DOT plans to confiscate and then auction off a number of take-off and landing slots at New York area airports.

The announcement comes as a crushing blow to smaller communities across the nation.  Over 70 percent of airports in the United States rely on regional airlines for their only access to the nation's air transportation system.  These communities will suffer devastating service losses as airlines' takeoff and landing slots are confiscated and sold to the highest bidder and airlines are overwhelmed by increased costs and reduced points of access to the U.S. air transportation network.  Click here to read the full RAA Press Release

RAA was notified that the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia issued a stay, immediately delaying the effective date of the final rule mandating drug test “direct observation” urine collection.  Click here to read the Court's statement.

The RAA and a number of its member airlines actively participated in the efforts of this Task Force, embrace the spirit and the goals of its efforts, and support the model contingency plans presented in this Report.  Click here to read the full document.  For a brief summary of the RAA comments, please click here.

Stressing America’s increasing reliance on regional airlines, particularly during the current economic crisis, RAA President Roger Cohen and VP Legislative Affairs Faye Malarkey Black joined other aviation leaders Monday in urging the incoming Administration to modernize ATC and improve airports, protect EAS and as an initial priority, block the Bush Administration’s plans to auctions slots at the New York airports.
“We were gratified to have an opportunity to emphasize just how much regional airlines, and service to small and medium-sized communities, are bearing the brunt of the current economic crisis, “said Cohen. “The Obama transition representatives are experienced, thoughtful industry professionals – and we’re confident they ‘get it’ when it comes to just how critical regional airlines are to the nation’s economy. Click here to read the full brief.       

RAA Flight Training Committee Establishes 2009 Priorities, Elects Randy Hamilton (Compass Airlines) as Co-Chairman
The Flight Training Committee, the Regional Airline Association’s longest running committee providing a forum for the airline management to discuss common issues, regulation changes and the latest industry trends, met at Compass Airlines’ training center in Eagan, Minnesota. The agenda covered many hot issues, but the most critical topics were “runway safety” and “finding and training new pilots.” The committee members always has a full agenda to discuss at their Fall meeting and this meeting proved to be no exception as the meeting adjourned with plans to continue to focus on these two important issues in 2009.

After working tirelessly to oppose slot auctions at three New York area airports, RAA today praised the U.S. Court of Appeals decision to uphold a temporary stay of implementation.  RAA has been sharply critical of the slot auction rule, calling it "illegal" and a "threat to small and medium-sized communities across the nation."  Having previously called the proposal "like eBay on psychedelics," RAA's President, Roger Cohen, credited the U.S. Court with saving travelers from "a bad trip."  RAA's Cohen went on to criticize the Bush Administration for pushing slot auctions over the protests of the regional airline industry.  "A full 75 percent of our nation's airports receive service exclusively by regional airlines.  To ignore this constituency sends a strong message that small community air service is not important to this Administration.  RAA looks forward to working with President-elect Barack Obama, Congress, and other concerned stakeholders to improve the travel experience everywhere -- both at the New York area airports and across the nation."

View the court order here.

RAA joined with eight other leading DC based aviation groups representing airlines, general aviation and manufacturers in calling on Congress to invest $4 billion in helping aircraft transition into the FAA's Next Generation Air Transport System.

You can read the entire release here.

On February 12, RAA member airline, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) made history with the first all-female, African-American crew – the first U.S.-based crew of its kind on a scheduled commercial flight. Captain Rachelle Jones, First Officer Stephanie Grant and flight attendants Diana Galloway and Robin Rogers flew Delta Connection Flight 5202 from Atlanta to Nashville, TN and returned Flight 5106 to Atlanta on Bombardier CRJ700 equipment.

Read the joint industry letter

Read the congratulatory letter from RAA

On behalf of the member airlines, staff, and supply partner companies of the Regional Airline Association (RAA), we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the passengers and crew of Flight 3407.