USA Today, The Washington Post, the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg, and ABC Radio were among the important news outlets drawn to ALPA's Washington, D.C., offices in mid-January. The draw: Top issues of concern to airline pilots flying the line.
Laying out ALPA's safety and security agenda for 2006 to 20 members of the Beltway news media were Capt. Duane Woerth, ALPA's president; Capt. Terry McVenes, the Association's Executive Air Safety Chairman; and Capt. Bob Hesselbein, chairman of ALPA's National Security Committee. Topping their agenda were pilot fatigue, airspace modernization, cargo security, and runway safety.
The resultant coverage was immediate. USA Today ran on its website the next day a Reuter's story on ALPA's concerns about increased fatigue. The story was prompted by Capt. Woerth's charge that
JetBlue may seek an exemption to domestic flight-time regulations that would keep pilots flying for as long as 10 consecutive hours. JetBlue confirmed the report.
The reporters' questioning turned toward economic issues as well, with Capt. Woerth decrying United Airlines management's grab for stock in its post-bankruptcy maneuvers. Bloomberg and Reuters ran stories that afternoon on United's "stick in the eye" of its employees.
ALPA routinely conducts such roundtable news media discussions, both to generate immediate coverage in the press and on television and to educate key journalists on issues that may be in the headlines in the weeks and months to come.
A full review of ALPA's safety and security priorities for 2006 will be included in the next issue of Air Line Pilot.
Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l
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