|
View this message on the Web. |
 |
|
News from ALPA International |
|
March 29, 2012 |
|
|
|
ALPA Urges U.S. Action on EU-ETS |
|
|
 ALPA
first vice president
Capt. Sean Cassidy
yesterday participated
in a congressional
roundtable discussion,
urging the
administration and
Congress to block U.S.
participation in the
EU’s emissions trading
scheme. The timing of
the congressional
roundtable coincided
with an
opinion piece in
Tuesday’s USA Today
by ALPA president Capt.
Lee Moak with A4A
President Nick Calio,
opposing the EU-ETS.
“Our companies are under
tremendous market
pressure to reduce fuel
consumption and
emissions so they may
continue to compete in
the world market,”
Cassidy told roundtable
attendees. “Being
greener leads to a
better bottom line, so
they do not need any
artificial incentives to
urge them to make the
best possible use of
every gallon of jet fuel
they purchase.”
ALPA opposes the EU-ETS
as it further taxes the
airline industry,
reduces the ability of
U.S. airlines to invest
in emission-reduction
technology, and violates
U.S. sovereignty. In
addition to Cassidy’s
roundtable
participation, Moak met
with White House
officials on Tuesday,
asking them to file an
Article 84 complaint
against the EU to
challenge the legality
of the scheme.
Also attending the
congressional roundtable
were representatives
from the House Aviation
Subcommittee, the
Department of
Transportation, the FAA,
the Department of State,
and the U.S. airline
industry.
Return to top
|
|
|
|
 As
of yesterday, Capt. Mark
Nagel (PCL) became the ALPA
executive vice president
for Subgroup B4. His
term of office continues
until December 31, 2012.
Nagel is also chairman
of ALPA’s Membership
Committee and previously
served as chairman of
the Mesaba MEC.
Nagel fills the
vacancy left by Capt.
Mark Segaloff, who
resigned on March 10
when he left Pinnacle
Airlines.
Return to top
|
|
|
|
 Stay connected with your
union, your profession,
and your industry by
reading Air Line
Pilot magazine and
watching monthly
episodes of The
FlightDeck.
Learn how to maximize
your Social Security
benefits on page 48 of the
April issue of Air Line Pilot magazine.
On the 13th
installment
of
The
FlightDeck,
watch highlights from
this year’s ALPA
Leadership Training
Conference.
Remember that both Air Line Pilot
and The FlightDeck
can also be accessed
from the members-only
portion of the ALPA
website at
www.alpa.org.
Return to top
|
|
|
Oppose Cuts to FFDO Program! |
|
 President
Obama’s 2013 budget
blueprint cut the
funding for the FFDO
program by more than
half and also cut $36
million from the FAMS
program. This is
unsatisfactory and needs
to be remedied. While
the House of
Representatives
unanimously rejected the
president’s budget
proposal yesterday, it is
still critical that
pilots communicate the
importance of the FFDO
program to their
legislators. Members of
Congress must now
proceed with the
drafting of the FY13
spending bills, and need
to hear directly from
pilots that the FFDO
program needs to be
fully funded. Please
take a moment to
participate in this Call
to Action today.
The FFDO program is a
critical and
cost-efficient airline
security program staffed
by thousands of fully
trained and deputized
ALPA pilots who
volunteer their time to
become qualified FFDOs,
contributing personal
and professional
sacrifices to secure our
flight decks. In light
of its already barely
adequate funding levels,
any budget reduction to
the FFDO program could
very well lead to its
ultimate demise.
Tell your representative
today to oppose cuts to
the FFDO and FAMS in the
FY2013 budget.
Read more.
Return to top
|
|
|
Huerta Nominated to Lead FAA |
|
 U.S.
President Barack Obama
has nominated Michael
Huerta to serve as FAA
administrator. Huerta
has been acting
administrator since
December and previously
served as the agency’s
deputy administrator.
“I am very pleased
that President Obama has
nominated him to lead
the FAA as the next
administrator,” said
U.S. Department of
Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood. “Michael
Huerta has stepped up to
the plate and done an
exemplary job in leading
the largest and safest
aviation system in the
world.”
In addition to
several private-sector
positions, Huerta was
chief of staff of the
U.S. Department of
Transportation from 1997
to 1998 and associate
deputy secretary in the
Office of Intermodalism
at the DOT from 1992 to
1997.
Return to top
|
|
|
Jason Dahl Scholarship Accepting Applications |
|
|
Capt. Jason Dahl was at
the controls of United
Airlines Flight 93 on
September 11 when his
life was tragically
taken. His wife, Sandy
(a United flight
attendant), and friends
started the Capt. Jason
Dahl Scholarship Fund to
keep Jason’s love of
flying and memory alive!
To learn more about the
scholarship and to
apply, go to
dahlfund.org. To be
considered, you must be
a full-time student at
an accredited university
and must be majoring in
aviation, with an
emphasis in
pilot-related studies.
All entrees must be
submitted by Thursday,
April 12, so apply now.
Return to top
|
|
|
|
|
• According to LogisticsWeek, Airbus plans to invest nearly two billion euros in
environmental research and development this year.
Read more.
• The Orange County Register reports that four airlines have moved to
different terminals at Los Angeles International Airport.
Read more.
• Airtrafficmanagement.net says NASA’s Ames Research Center will host a virtual
institute to solicit innovative ideas to address technological challenges facing
the air transportation system.
Read more.
Return to top
|
|
|
|
|
On March 31, 1931, Knute Rockne, considered one of college football’s greatest
coaches, died in the crash of a Transcontinental Air Transport F-10A in Kansas.
The accident prompted the aeronautics branch of the U.S. Commerce Department to
pull the aircraft from commercial service. This was the first such grounding in
U.S. history.
Return to top
|
|
|
Feedback & E-mail Address Changes |
|
| Questions or comments on this FastRead? Give us your feedback at
communications@alpa.org. If you have moved or changed your ISP or e-mail
address, please update your ALPA records. If you don’t, you
will no longer receive the ALPA FastRead and other e-mail bulletins and notices,
and once your postal forwarding order expires, you’ll no longer receive the
magazine and other ALPA mail. You can do it yourself by going to
www.alpa.org and logging
in. Go to “My ALPA” in the menu at the top of the page, and from there, you’ll be
instructed how to make the necessary changes. If you don’t have access to the
members-only section of
www.alpa.org, you can
e-mail your requests by sending them to
membership@alpa.org. Be sure to include your member number or enough other
information so that we can identify you in the membership database, and tell us
what information needs to be updated. Please note that it is not sufficient
just to notify your LEC or MEC of these changes—you should register them with
the ALPA Membership Department in Herndon. Can’t remember your member number
or how to log in? Need information about your ALPA insurance programs? These and
other questions about ALPA services can be answered by contacting
membership@alpa.org. Return to top
|
|
|
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW
| Washington, DC 20036 | 703-689-2270 |
|
