ALPA President Tells Senate Committee: "Good Enough Is No Longer Good Enough" on Aviation Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), testified today before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation at a hearing titled "Close Calls: Improving Safety Across the National Airspace System." During his testimony, Ambrosi urged Congress to treat the recent rise in close calls and two fatal accidents in the past 16 months as an urgent call to action rather than waiting for the next tragedy.

"The unfortunate truth in aviation is that we make the most progress on safety only after lives have already been lost. ALPA is calling for urgent action with the full knowledge that the technologies that could have prevented these accidents exist and are readily available right now. Two fatal accidents in 16 months tell us: good enough is no longer good enough," said Ambrosi.

ALPA’s testimony pointed to two recent fatal accidents, the January 2025 midair collision near Washington National Airport and the March 2026 ground collision at LaGuardia Airport, as evidence that pilots are too often left to rely on last-second warning systems like TCAS, which offer limited alerting time, minimal traffic detail, and reduced performance near the ground. ALPA argues that real situational awareness requires integrated, always-on traffic information in the flightdeck, not just an alert in the final seconds before a collision. To close those gaps, ALPA outlined several recommendations for the Committee:

• Enact the ROTOR Act's integrated ADS-B In mandate. Unlike last-second warning systems such as TCAS, fully integrated ADS-B In gives pilots earlier alerts, clearer traffic information, and improved situational awareness in both airborne and surface environments. ALPA cautioned that voluntary, tablet-based alternatives would create new head-down distractions and risk delayed or missed alerts.
• Rapidly expand surface surveillance and runway lighting systems. Critical tools like the Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC), Airport Surveillance Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), and Runway Status Lights remain installed at only a small fraction of U.S. airports. ALPA urged the FAA to accelerate deployment and add alerting capabilities to its Surface Awareness Initiative.
• Close the military ADS-B Out loophole. ALPA called for military aircraft required nationwide statutory requirements forADS-B Out transmissionsto broadcast their position so civilian pilots can see them, while preserving appropriate national security exemptions.
• Accelerate air traffic control modernization. ALPA reiterated its support for the Administration's plan to build a new air traffic control system, calling for continued investment in controller staffing, aging infrastructure, and a common automation platform.

Ambrosi noted that simulations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board found that had PSA Flight 5342 been equipped with the ROTOR Act's expanded ADS-B In capabilities, the flight crew would have received visual and aural alerts considerably earlier than with currently available alternatives.

"The Potomac midair collision exposed a specific safety gap: the lack of an integrated ADS-B In mandate. Without it, pilots are forced to rely on last-second warning systems. Pilots are safest when we are aware of and can avoid threats. This is the time for action, not the time to give in to special interests fighting progress," Ambrosi said. "We cannot stall. We cannot water down the safety advancements in the ROTOR Act. We must keep moving forward."

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