“Safety has been and always will be the single highest priority for RAA. Regional airlines have voluntarily adopted and have long benefitted from these safety programs, the legislation incorporates many elements urged by RAA’s Strategic Safety Initiative, and our member regional airlines look forward to continuing our efforts with the FAA and all stakeholders to further build upon commercial aviation’s outstanding safety record.” Roger Cohen, RAA President

Emphasizing regional airlines provide the only scheduled air service to 492 airports, about three quarters of the nation's airports, RAA President Roger Cohen revealed that the current regional share of flights at New York's LaGuardia Airport is 54 percent and 21 percent at JFK, while nearby Newark regional flights total 47 percent. Click here for these statistics and others from Roger's NY Airports Conference presentation on June 14, 2010.

Vice President Scott Foose outlined RAA's effort to fill the fatigue science gap during a panel discussion at FAA's June 7-10, 2010 Global Safety Management conference in New Orleans. RAA's multi-phase research on pilot fatigue and education focuses on multi-segment flight operations by US domestic airlines.  Click here for Scott's presentation,  and for more general information about the FAA event click here bit.ly/capKPN

July 25-28, 2010 2010
Summer Seminars at Loews Coronado Bay (near San Diego)
4000 Coronado Bay Road Coronado, CA 92118 

Register Today!- Click here for Registration Form
Contact Diana Lundie for hotel reservations! 

Download RAA's Comments
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) submits the following comments on behalf of our airline membership .

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the Federal Register on February 8, 2010 (see 75 FR 6164), seeking public comment concerning potential changes to the certification of airmen conducting air carrier operations under 14 C.F.R. Part 121.  The Regional Airline Association (RAA) and its members have a wealth of experience in, and commitment to, the qualification of airmen conducting such operations, and we respectfully submit the following comments on behalf of our 31 airline members regarding this important and timely proposal.

NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman told RAA Convention attendees that "regional airlines are the major leagues. At any given moment, there are nearly 5,000 flights in the national airspace." 
Read her entire remarks here.  Follow the jump to view videos of her speech. 

Regional Horizons reports on NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman's keynote speech at the Milwaukee Convention. Click here.

Mark Dombroff of Dombroff Gilmore Jaques & French on Emergency Prepardness at the RAA 2010 Convention in MKE!

Every year at the RAA Convention, Airline Presidents participate in 15-minute Q&A sessions with reporters.
In Milwaukee, six airline executives provided operational updates and their views on the regional airline industry in general.

Regional Horizons, the official publication of the RAA Annual Convention covered every aspect of the show. 
Day 1 Issue (Featuring floor map and exhibitor descriptions)
Day 2 Issue
Day 3 Issue

RAA Convention Coverage
“Regional Airlines Welcome Spotlight at Annual RAA Convention”- AIN Online, Gregory Polek (5/27/10)
"As the Regional Flight Market Shrinks, Airlines Need New Strategies to Survive"- BNET Travel Analysis, Brett Snyder (6/1/10)
"US Regional Airline Strategies in Place for the Future"- Center for Asian Pacific Aviation by Kathryn Creedy (6/4/10)
FlightGlobal Coverage of RAA Convention
Aero-News.Net reports on NTSB Chair’s Remarks at the RAA Meeting in Milwaukee

RAA General Session "Flying Above the Social Media Fray" featuring FlightGlobal's Mary Kirby, Aviation Week's Benet Wilson, and Cranky Flier Brett Snyder.  #RAA10

Thank you to the 1,500 Exhibitors and Attendees who attended the 2010 convention and trade show in Milwaukee. 

From left to right:  RAA Secretary Keith Houk, Sponsors Nicolas Durand from PowerJet and John Buckley from Superjet International, RAA Chairman Chip Childs, Treasurer Dan Wolf and President Roger Cohen.

Please take a moment to check out the awesome videos submitted to RAA for our Annual Convention in Milwaukee in May 2010. 

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.

RAA joined 8 other organizations in a joint letter on FAA Contract Tower Funding for FY`11. Read the letter here.

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 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.

Read the USA Today Editorial

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

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.

The quarterly Regional Horizons has a new look and feel!  We have an exclusive interview with former ABC Aviation reporter and author, John Nance, a special on our members' efforts in Haiti following the devastating earthquake, and an updated two-page convention spread featuring information on our speakers and special sessions!  We hope you will enjoy!  Download here!

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.

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.

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.

Cape Air Carries Medical Teams and Supplies to Haiti

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.