McLean, Va.—Today, Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), issued the following statement in support of Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy’s recently announced bill that would invest additional resources into modernizing the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system:
“As the primary users of our shared National Airspace System (NAS), we strongly support Secretary Duffy's plan to improve our nation's air traffic control system and improve the safety of our skies. This year, there have already been many operational challenges, which underscore the urgent need to address outdated technology and critical staffing shortages. From pilots who navigate these skies daily, our message is unequivocal: Now is the time for immediate, decisive action, with a steadfast commitment to safeguard and enhance aviation’s safety and efficiency.
“While commercial airline pilots are trained daily to navigate the use of the current technology while maintaining the highest safety standards, we are pleased that Secretary Duffy has identified infrastructure priorities that align with our frontline airline pilot experience. As key stakeholders in aviation safety and professionals who rely on these systems daily, we applaud this Administration's commitment to the much-needed wholesale upgrade to our ATC system.
“We commend Chairman Graves' critical first step in advancing $12.5 billion of funding for this long overdue initiative. The staffing and technology challenges facing the NAS, which pilots contend with every day, did not appear overnight and will require strong bipartisan leadership and accountability to maximize these investments.
“As dedicated aviation safety professionals who depend on these systems, we appreciate Secretary Duffy for making our nation's air traffic control system a priority. We look forward to lending our unique operational expertise and bringing this to fruition as we work with the Administration and a bipartisan Congress.”
