Federal regulators have soundly rejected an airline's controversial request to reduce commercial pilot hiring standards in half to tackle the global pilot shortage
Federal regulators have soundly rejected an airline's controversial request to reduce commercial pilot hiring standards in half to tackle the global pilot shortage.
Republic is a regional airline based in Indianapolis that says it operates 1,000 daily flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express.Republic asserted in its initial request to the FAA that its in-house training program was on par with the rigors of military flight training. Therefore, the carrier said, an FAA regulation allowing military pilots to be hired by airlines with less experience should be extended to Republic.
Republic argued its program would increase diversity in the pilot ranks. Amassing the 1,500 hours typically involves a college degree, low-wage work and renting aircraft to fly -- an expense that Republic said can cost from $170,000 to $220,000. Faye Malarkey Black, CEO and president of the association issued the following statement on Monday in reaction to the FAA decision:
"Changing the current pilot certification requirements that are working or allowing operators to bend the provisions to cut costs, would be a monumental mistake and have real-world, life-and-death consequences," Captain Joe DePete, ALPA's president, wrote in a letter to the FAA.
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