WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Aviation Safety: The Relationship Between Network Airlines and Regional Airlines.

 

 

Mr. Philip H. Trenary, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

 

Mr. Peter Bowler, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Eagle Airlines

 

Captain Don Gunther, Vice President for Safety, Continental Airlines, Inc.

 

Captain Stephen M. Dickson, Senior Vice President Flight Operations, Delta Air Lines, Inc.

 

 

“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.”

“While our aviation system is incredibly safe, I think we should diligently use our oversight authority to improve safety and ensure the FAA and the airlines are doing all they can. I want to know about the safety standards major airlines require of their regional airline partners and how they assess or help to improve their safety. This hearing will also explore the current safety practices of the airlines and whether there are practices of the major carriers that the regional airlines can and should adopt.”

“A common misperception exists that regional airlines and mainline carriers are subject to different Safety standards. This is simply not true. All U.S. commercial air carriers are subject to the same standards and requirements, and receive exactly the same level of Safety oversight. Since 1995, the FAA has imposed one level of Safety on the entire air carrier industry. Thus, Pinnacle Airlines and Colgan Air are independently required to meet exactly the same Safety standards as our mainline partners.”

“By virtue of being a wholly owned subsidiary of the same company as our partner airline, American Eagle is in a relatively unique position. We recognize that on every American Eagle flight the reputation, of not only Eagle, but of American Airlines, is at stake. Although we are confident that we operate an extremely safe airline, with thousands of highly trained, experienced and dedicated employees, we also recognize that we can never be complacent. We are continuously striving to improve upon what is an extremely safe operation.”

“Under the FAA regulatory framework, network carriers cannot and should not serve as a safety check for the operations and performance of regional carriers. There should be one regulatory standard of safety and it should apply to all carriers. To ensure that level of safety, the FAA is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing every aspect of the safety of every U.S. airline – regional, mainline or network. Continental is committed to partnering with other members of the aviation community to develop and implement safety solutions that work within the framework prescribed by the FAA. To maintain the integrity of our aviation system, however, network carriers must not usurp the FAA’s role by regulating or overseeing the certification and operations of regional airlines.”

“At Delta, we are continuously driving enhancements to our safety programs not only for our mainline operations but with all nine of our regional affiliates at Delta Connection. Oversight plays a critical role in aviation safety – Congressional, Administrative and internal oversight all continue to drive home the simple objective – safety is first.”

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