(Washington, DC – September 23, 2020) The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), representing over 30,000 professional passenger and cargo airline pilots, applauds Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) for introducing the “Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020” (S.4634).
This critically important legislation would provide the financial lifeline needed to keep frontline essential aviation workers on the job as they continue to faithfully connect people and commerce during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
CAPA has been closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations between our nation’s airline CEOs and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin as they have worked through the details contained within the CARES Act. Additionally, CAPA is actively engaged, lobbying Congress and the White House on behalf of our collective membership.
The COVID-19 virus has proven to be more tenacious and elusive than the original CARES Act’s timeline had envisioned, and we find ourselves back at the same crossroad. Maintaining a viable and fully functioning passenger and cargo airline industry will be critical in ensuring our nation’s robust recovery following this unprecedented crisis.
“CAPA is fervent in its belief that any additional financial investment made in ensuring the U.S. aviation industry’s continued survivability is a wise, educated, and responsible decision on behalf of the U.S. taxpayer,” stated CAPA President Captain Larry Rooney. “As we are beginning to see some hopeful scientific signs that will eventually lead to economic recovery, we cannot lose sight that the aviation industry will be the conduit to ensure that this occurs,” he further added.
It is CAPA’s hope that our legislators can once again show the same bipartisan wisdom that has prevented the loss of hundreds of thousands of aviation-related jobs and the dismantling of our nation’s aviation infrastructure by quickly passing this Bill into Law.
As the nations’ largest professional pilot trade association, representing over 30,000 pilot members, CAPA stands ready to do what we do best, connecting the people and commerce of the world with strength, commitment, and resilience.
About CAPA: The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations is the nation’s largest professional pilot trade association representing more than 30,000 professional passenger and cargo airline pilots at carriers including American Airlines (Allied Pilots Association), UPS Airlines (Independent Pilots Association), ABX Air, Horizon Airlines, Southern Air, Silver Airways, Cape Air, Omni Air (Teamsters Local 1224), Republic Airways (Teamsters Local 357) and Atlas Air (Teamsters Local 2750).
