ALPA Honors Workers' Memorial Day and Reaffirms Commitment to Aviation Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA) today observed Workers' Memorial Day by honoring the memory of pilots and all workers who have been injured or killed on the job, and by renewing its commitment to the fight for safer workplaces.

"This year, we honor Capt. Jonathan Campos, honorary Capt. Sam Lilley, Capt. Antoine Forest, and First Officer MacKenzie Gunther, who tragically lost their lives while flying the line. Each year, Workers' Memorial Day serves as a solemn reminder that the fight for aviation safety continues," said ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi. “For ALPA, half of our founders lost their lives in accidents caused by unsafe conditions or equipment. The history of our union is written in the sacrifices of those who came before us. We owe it to them, and to every pilot flying today, to continue to advance aviation safety.

On this Workers' Memorial Day, ALPA is calling on Congress to mandate that commercial airline aircraft have and operate a comprehensive ADS-B In system integrated into the flight deck display to provide pilots with greater situational awareness. ADS-B In, which provides advanced alerting and indicates to pilots the positions of other nearby aircraft while airborne and while operating on the airport surface, is not just an upgrade to existing collision avoidance systems, but rather an additional capability.

"Meaningful action on Workers' Memorial Day means more than words," Capt. Ambrosi said. "It means mandating ADS-B In. It means making the choices that keep pilots and passengers safe, not just today, but every day,” Capt. Ambrosi added.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have both recently passed aviation safety bills. Now, both chambers will seek to reconcile their differences into a final bill. ALPA continues to work with lawmakers to include key provisions from the Senate Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which mandates ADS-B In technology with advanced alerting capabilities, in the final legislation, as well as adopting the stronger Senate provisions to close military loopholes for those operating in civilian airspace near congested airports.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org or follow us on X @ALPAPilots.

CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org