Air Line Pilot Magazine August 2026

Speaking Up to Keep Aviation the Safest Form of Transportation

The voice of airline pilots keeps aviation safe.

For 95 years, ALPA pilots have recognized the fundamental truth that we must be strong advocates, or aviation safety and security will degrade. Our advocacy has made airline travel the safest form of transportation in North America, and our advocacy is necessary to keep it that way. We understand that pilots are not only the hands-on experts in aviation safety and security, but also the most effective messengers for protecting and enhancing the airline industry.

In this issue of Air Line Pilot, you’ll read about our annual Legislative Summit, during which we deploy our greatest advocacy assets—pilots—to work with their members of Congress to advance aviation. This year, our efforts were laser focused on one advocacy priority: urging Congress to include the strongest safety recommendations from the investigation of the midair collision involving PSA Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. In the days following the crash, we promised that we’d make aviation safer in honor of our two fallen ALPA members and the other 65 individuals who lost their lives on both aircraft. During the summit, we took several steps forward to honor that vow.

Our ask was to support, in an updated House bill, the inclusion of Section 4 of Senate legislation that outlines the requirement for ADS-B In technology and ADS-B Out requirements for military aircraft. This technology would increase pilot situational awareness and alert us to potential collisions.

Shortly after the Legislative Summit, I testified before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee in a hearing on close calls and accidents in aviation. I dedicated my testimony to Capt. Jonathan Campos and honorary Capt. Samuel Lilley, the crew of PSA Flight 5342, as well as Jazz Aviation pilots Capt. Antoine Forest and F/O MacKenzie Gunther, who lost their lives in the ground collision at LaGuardia Airport in March. The unfortunate truth in aviation is that sometimes we make the most progress on safety only after lives have been lost.

We know that our focused advocacy efforts often result in positive outcomes. Last year, one of our top priorities during the Legislative Summit was ensuring that single-pilot and reduced-crew operations didn’t gain momentum. This was an opportunity for us to be proactive before a threat to safety was introduced, and our pilot advocates strongly urged U.S. lawmakers to oppose these schemes.

ALPA also successfully lobbied for limiting federal investment in programs that could lead to reducing crew complement through the federal appropriations process. And by working with our colleagues at the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations and the European Cockpit Association, we stopped reduced-crew operations from being introduced at the International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly last fall. These wins highlight that our advocacy works, but pilots must speak up.

The voice of pilots is just as critical in defending the rights of workers. In Canada, the right to strike for rail and port workers is currently under attack based on a recommendation in a report by the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications. Watering down labor protections for one group of workers is an attack on all workers, and we joined our labor partners to speak up for workers and to ensure that we continue to have the rights we need to negotiate with management on equal footing.

Our strategy in both the United States and Canada is simple: work with our members to develop relationships with congressional representatives so that when aviation issues arise, lawmakers can hear directly from pilots—their constituents who are real-world aviation experts. Through these relationships, we’ve developed strong allies we can count on to champion safety and workers’ rights.

We embrace the fact that aviation safety is a winning issue, no matter which side of the aisle a lawmaker is on. We don’t operate as Democrats or Republicans. We’re proudly pilot-partisan. We work with representatives who are committed to advancing aviation safety, security, and workers’ rights. This strategy pays off as majorities shift and administrations change.

Pilots are experts on aviation matters. We live the rules made on Capitol Hill and Parliament Hill, and we inherently understand how they’ll impact safety, security, operations, and our rights as workers. As experts, it’s up to us to speak up to keep aviation the safest form of transportation.