Airline Pilot Forums

January 28, 2009 To: All Pilots Subject: Delta Pilot Aviation Safety Action Program (Pilot ASAP) Today we are pleased to report that Delta Air Lines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reinstate its Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) covering pre-merger Delta pilots. ASAP was created to improve flight safety by providing greater insight into the total flight operations environment through the systematic identification and resolution of potential hazards and human errors, with the full cooperation of all interested parties. Individual flight crewmembers are encouraged to submit reports to identify safety concerns. The safety data is used to develop corrective action and to educate the appropriate parties to prevent a recurrence of the same type of event. Since Delta’s pilot ASAP program was suspended in 2006, ALPA, Delta and the FAA have worked tirelessly and collectively to establish a solid foundation for reinstatement of the ASAP Program. Northwest Airlines has continuously and successfully operated a Pilot ASAP program (called NASAP) for the last eight years. As a benefit of the merger, we have each agreed to leverage the considerable experience NWA brings to ASAP. This new program will carry with it associated protections from FAA certificate action and company disciplinary actions for reports accepted into the program. More importantly, it will establish the groundwork for unprecedented safety data collection, analysis, and action. Former NWA pilots will see no change in the current NASAP program. In the coming weeks, pre-merger Delta pilots will begin receiving materials designed to provide information on the ASAP program. Once this material has been distributed, we expect to officially reinstate the ASAP program the first week of March. The exact start up date will be communicated to you as we approach that time period. Until Delta and NWA are combined into a single operating certificate, anticipated sometime in late 2009, former NWA pilots and Delta pilots will operate two ASAP programs. Upon the issuance of a single operating certificate, these two ASAP programs will merge into one. The transition to a single program should be transparent to line pilots. In addition to reestablishing the Pilot ASAP program, Delta currently operates ASAP programs for Dispatchers and TechOps employees. NWA operates ASAP programs for Pilots, Dispatchers and Load Planners. As we move forward together, the new Delta will be the largest user of voluntary safety reporting systems in the nation, with six programs covering over 17,000 employees. We look forward to reestablishing Pilot ASAP at Delta in the next few weeks. Your support and participation are critical to the success of this program.

Lets get some more trickle down contractonomics going here ... :D

Nosmo, I've always felt and hoped that the merger will exceed expectations if we can successfully take "best practices" from both companies and apply it to the new Delta. Both sides bring a tremendous amount to the table. This is a huge positive that FNWA brings to us. I'm glad to see us bring ASAP back.

I think the feds pushed DL really hard on this issue. The FAA guys at NW really love the NASAP program and so do the pilots. Now that the immunity agreement has been finalized, the ASAP program can be used as it should be ... to improve air safety at DL.

NASAP is a great program on several levels... it really does help run a safer airline.

I'm really happy to see ASAP back at DAL. I think EVERY airline should have it. It increases safety dramatically.

I'm glad to see that it's back. It was introduced at Delta to much fanfare several years ago, with the promise of making the airline run more safely. Unfortunately, our management chose to misuse the data. I guess what is different now is that NWALPA's program had better safeguards written into it.

My thanks to NWALPA; hopefully this is the first of many contract improvements to result from the merger.

My thanks to NWALPA; hopefully this is the first of many contract improvements to result from the merger.

I hope the MEC takes a hard look at our JS policy, call-in-honest, and APA position awarding system.......

I hope the MEC takes a hard look at our JS policy, call-in-honest, and APA position awarding system.......


Unless they could make the NWA policy contractual I would much rather have the Delta policy inside the contract. The NWA jumpseat is policy only. It can be changed at any time. The Delta contractual policy is actually very similiar. If you don't get on the flight and the backup looks bad call crew scheds. If they need you they will PS you on the flight. If not your off the hook with no issues assured via the contract and you pick something else up.

Unless they could make the NWA policy contractual I would much rather have the Delta policy inside the contract. The NWA jumpseat is policy only. It can be changed at any time. The Delta contractual policy is actually very similiar. If you don't get on the flight and the backup looks bad call crew scheds. If they need you they will PS you on the flight. If not your off the hook with no issues assured via the contract and you pick something else up.

While you are correct that it would be better to have it contactually bound or policy I like better because it does not leave it up to a scheduler. If you can't get on (whatever airline) you get PS on the next NWA flight. This allows you to reall yplan your commutes..... As for picking up something if you miss a trip we are scheduled so tight a lot of the time and the lack of open time makes this almost impossible.