The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) recently released a statement in support of the Safety Is Not for Sale Act that has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
The bill would require aircraft manufacturers to either offer or provide nonrequired safety
enhancing equipment on an aircraft without additional charge to airline carriers. Manufacturers would be required to comply no later than two years after the bill’s enactment.
“As the world’s largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization, ALPA is deeply aware that aviation safety work must never be considered complete,” Capt. Joe DePete, ALPA president, said. “To protect the passengers, crews, and cargo we fly, the U.S. airline industry must constantly enhance the equipment, processes, training, and procedures that have made commercial air transportation the safest mode of transportation in history. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this measure as the latest effort in the United States’ never-ending commitment to making a safe air transportation system even safer.”
Safety-enhancing equipment includes equipment that provides additional occupant safety
protection, information other than the aircraft primary system or warnings. It also includes equipment that increases overall situational awareness.
Manufacturers would be required to submit to the Federal Aviation Administration annually a list of safety enhancing equipment they offer.