Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Approves Recommendations In Internal Report

The FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) has approved a report that recommends rolling back pilot qualification rules it says is adding to a nationwide shortage of airline pilots.

The committee approved the report 14-4 with one abstention, according to a report from The Washington Post. But the recommendations are opposed by some pilot unions and safety advocacy groups, as well as several lawmakers.

The rules were put in place following the Colgan Flight 3407 accident in Buffalo, NY in 2009. Lawmakers said that some regional airlines were hiring pilots as first officers with far less experience that was required by mainline carriers. The rules said that a pilot must have 1,500 hours of flying experience before being made a first officer for any airliner. Some have said that the rule sets too high a bar for people interested in a career as an airline pilot, and has led to a projected shortage of pilots, particularly at smaller regional carriers.

The report recommends that pilots with less than 1,500 hours can qualify for an ATP certificate if they receive academic training from their airline.

But pilot unions and safety advocates say regional airline pay, not qualification rules, is the primary reason the potential pilots don't pursue the career. In a dissenting opinion to the report, the National Air Disaster Foundation said “UPS and FedEx have good pay and benefits and thousands of highly qualified pilot applicants. There is only a pilot shortage of pilots able to work for $25,000 a year.”

A bill was passed earlier this year by the Senate Commerce Committee that would ease the flight time requirements in lieu of academic training. But opposition by some Democrats in the Senate has prevented the bill from being moved to the floor for consideration by the full Senate.

The report also included 53 other changes, including regulations for emergency exit markings, the strength of door hinges.

FMI: Original Report, ARAC