Majority Statement

• John D. Rockefeller, IV

  Senator
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  Majority Statement

  John D. Rockefeller, IV

  The crash of Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, New York, in which 50 people lost their lives, serves as a tragic reminder that the aviation industry and the federal government must work vigilantly to maintain the safety of the air transportation system.

   

  This Committee recently held two hearings examining the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of the airlines and each carrier’s role in guaranteeing the safety of its own operations.  This hearing will focus on the relationship between the major, or network, airlines and their regional airline partners.

   

  Aviation safety improves greatly when we work together – the federal government, the airline industry, the workforce, and the passengers all have a critical role to play in this effort.  In the past, we have made our greatest progress when the FAA and the airlines worked in concert with one another.  Programs such as the Aviation Safety Action program (ASAP) and the Flight Operation Quality Assurance (FOQA) program are good examples of this cooperation, but more work remains to be done.

   

  Today, I hope we can foster a dialogue that will strengthen the resolve of all air carriers and other stakeholders to find ways to further improve the safety of operations conducted under code-share agreements.  Airlines can greatly improve our aviation system’s safety by sharing best safety practices and serving as an additional check on the safety of their code-sharing partners.

   

  Approximately 90 percent of the passengers travelling on regional airline flights purchase their tickets from a major air carrier.  However, those passengers are often unaware that the major carrier that sold them their ticket is not actually operating their flight. I look forward to hearing from the witnesses about how we can better disseminate information about which carrier is actually operating their flight.  More importantly, I’d like to determine if there are further steps we can or must take to ensure there is one level of safety throughout the commercial air transportation system.

   

  I am proud that we have taken the initial steps to move forward FAA reauthorization legislation that is focused on modernizing the air traffic control system, strengthening safety requirements and improving air service in rural areas of the country.  Each of these areas can help promote significant improvements to the safety of air travel.  My fellow original co-sponsors, Senators Hutchison, Dorgan, DeMint, and I have worked hard crafting this bill over the past few months.  We will work diligently to make sure Congress passes this bill, and I look forward to taking this measure up on the Senate floor in the near future.

   

  I appreciate the airlines’ willingness to be here today to discuss this important issue before Congress.  It’s important to note that the air transportation system has, statistically, never been safer.  The airline industry depends on the passengers’ confidence in the safety of the system, and I think this open forum will help to reinforce that confidence with the travelling public.

   

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Minority Statement

• Kay Bailey Hutchison

  Senator
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  Minority Statement

  Kay Bailey Hutchison

  STATEMENT OF HON. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON,
  RANKING MEMBER
  COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION

   

  SUbCOMMITTEE HEARING aviation safety: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NETWORK AIRLINES AND REGIONAL AIRLINES
  AUGUST 6, 2009

   

   

  Senator Dorgan, thank you for holding this series of hearings on regional airline safety.  I believe we put together a sound safety proposal in our recent FAA Reauthorization bill based on the information provided in our previous two hearings on this topic.  I look forward to working with you as the process continues to move forward.
  
  Before I begin, I would like to take a moment and welcome and recognize Peter Bowler, President and Chief Executive Officer at American Eagle Airlines and Captain Don Gunther, Vice President of Safety at Continental Airlines.  Both airlines are long-time Texas institutions and leaders in the field of aviation safety.  I appreciate both of you taking the time to testify. 
  
  Despite the remarkable safety record of the U.S. aviation industry, the tragic accident of Colgan Flight 3407 reminds us we must remain vigilant and aggressively work to improve our aviation system, especially in hard to quantify areas such as fatigue and professional responsibility.
  
  Today, we will specifically review the contractual code share agreements between network and regional airlines and the safety responsibilities involved with those arrangements.  While reviewing this topic is timely, it is important we remember that it is the FAA’s sole responsibility to oversee and regulate safety in our national aviation system. 
  
  Additionally, it is paramount that individual companies and carriers, regardless of code share arrangements, maintain a robust safety program that will provide the American public with the confidence that all our air carriers are safe and that the phrase ‘one level of safety’ really equates to one level of safety in an operational environment.
  
  The message should be clear, it doesn’t matter how small or whom you code share, it is the operator’s responsibility to maintain a robust and effective safety management system at their airline.  While best practices can and should be garnered from the network carriers through mentoring and other sharing programs -- no company should rely on another to supplement what should be the fundamental operating principle at each and every carrier, which is the utmost level of safety.

Opening Remarks

• Captain Stephen M. Dickson

  Senior Vice President Flight Operations

  Delta Air Lines, Inc.
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• Mr. Peter Bowler

  President and Chief Executive Officer

  American Eagle Airlines
  Download Statement (82.14 KB)

• Mr. Philip H. Trenary

  President and Chief Executive Officer

  Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
  Download Statement (107.37 KB)