Washington, DC, June 29, 2020. Media contact: media@raa.org The Regional Airline Association (RAA) today voiced its strong support for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the establishment and maintenance of a robust Pilots Records Database (PRD). RAA member airlines’ top priority is safety for our operations, and the development of an enhanced electronic system for sharing pilot records among air carriers and other operators will meaningfully enhance safety by providing more complete information in the hiring process. Such a system, managed by the federal government, is long overdue.
Recognizing that the wide-ranging nature of many proposals in the new rule lack the detail necessary for a complete response, the FAA has asked industry for engagement to inform the final crafting of the rule and the method whereby the records will be transferred from existing airline record systems. RAA commends the FAA for this approach.
“The PRD will add transparency, standardization and efficiency into an air carrier’s hiring process and will provide immeasurable safety benefits,” noted Bill Whyte, VP of Aviation Operations and Technical Services, who authored the comments. Whyte continued: “Deploying the PRD at a deliberate and focused pace to safeguard the intent of the rule is essential and RAA members remain committed to working with the Agency and our pilot community to ensure a smooth transition to this much-needed system.”
RAA has long held the FAA’s implementation of the PRD as a matter of utmost importance and emphasizes that any airline or business burdens associated with implementation of the PRD are more than offset by the PRD’s clear and well-substantiated public safety benefit. RAA urges the FAA to review comments to its NPRM as quickly as possible and implement the transition to a federal Pilot Records Database (PRD) without delay.
A full copy of the RAA’s comments may be found here.
About RAA
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable and strong regional airline industry. RAA serves as an important support network connecting regional airlines and industry business partners. In the United States, regional airlines operate 41% of scheduled passenger flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to 63% of the nation’s airports. Notably, regional airlines provide over 70% of the air service in the following states: SD, MS, MT, ME, KS, AL, IA, WV, ND, AK, AR, ID, NE and WY.