Alexandria, VA, January 28, 2009 — The Flight Safety Foundation released the following statement today in support of recent actions taken by Delta Air Lines, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the FAA that have resulted in the re-instatement of this vital safety reporting program.
“We applaud everyone involved in this for resolving old differences and for re-instating this Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), I congratulate everyone for being persistent and putting safety above all other considerations,” commented FSF President and CEO William R. Voss. “The Foundation has been very supportive of these vital safety programs and distressed to see a number of airlines allow them to lapse during contract negotiations between management and labor. We hope that the reinstatement of the Delta Air Lines program will encourage other airlines and labor organizations to renew stalled discussions and to restart their ASAP programs. In order to maintain and even improve on the stellar safety record in the US, the industry must continue to have access to the data that is provided from ASAP.”
FSF has published a number of articles outlining the importance of these reporting programs in AeroSafety World July 2007 and in news releases defending the confidentiality of these programs. The Foundation was one of the earliest supporters of the ASAP programs.
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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org