(Washington, DC – July 31, 2020) The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), representing over 30,000 professional airline passenger and cargo pilots, strongly endorses the “Healthy Flights Act of 2020”. This critically important legislation introduced by House T&I Committee Chairman Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04) addresses much-needed safety equipment and uniform protocols for protecting airline crew members and passengers.
“Nothing is more important than ensuring our passenger and cargo flight crews’ safety and well-being, as they provide an essential service to our nation’s economy in connecting people and commerce,” stated CAPA President Captain Larry Rooney.
CAPA has been a long proponent for consistent and enhanced public safety protections contained within this critically important health safety legislation. Ensuring crewmembers and passengers’ safety is paramount to our nation’s robust recovery following this unprecedented crisis.
By granting the FAA with the mandated authority to provide this necessary oversight, Congress has taken a leadership role in ensuring a unified and science-based approach in addressing the ongoing challenges that are a direct result of the COVID 19 pandemic.
“We applaud Rep. DeFazio for his leadership with this essential piece of aviation safety legislation,” stated CAPA President Rooney. “As the COVID-19 global crisis continues to impact the airline industry and our flight crews significantly, we encourage Congress to pass this bill into law quickly to reassure a hesitant traveling public and return the airline industry to profitable service levels,” he added.
The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations is a trade association representing more than 30,000 professional passenger and cargo airline pilots at carriers including American Airlines (Allied Pilots Association), UPS Airlines (IPA), ABX Air, Horizon Airlines, Southern Air, Silver Airways, Cape Air, Omni Air (Teamsters Local 1224), and Republic Airways (Teamsters Local 357).
