Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air win 16th FAA Diamond Awards for excellence in maintenance training

SEATTLE, May 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have each earned their 16th Diamond Award from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for excellence in maintenance training. The FAA reserves this award for select carriers who complete the Aircraft Maintenance Training (AMT) program with 100 percent participation from eligible technicians.

Alaska Airlines is the only major carrier to earn this award for 16 consecutive years. Horizon has earned the award for 16 of the past 18 years. In addition to the company award, five aircraft technicians earned individual FAA Gold Awards for going above and beyond the AMT program requirements: Nicholas Kula, Matt Grabowsky, Kevin Barrett, Vincent Estacio and Chris Pratt.

"Earning the Diamond Award is no small feat. The technical training group and aircraft technicians take on the FAA's AMT program requirements on top of our own rigorous maintenance training program," says Kurt Kinder, Alaska Airlines vice president of maintenance and engineering. "Safety starts with training, and 16 Diamonds speaks to the value we place on both."

Today, Alaska is also recognizing the hard work of aircraft technicians with barbecues and treats in celebration of Charles E. Taylor Day (also known as Aircraft Maintenance Technician Day). Originally dedicated to paying homage to the first aircraft technician, Charles E. Taylor Day is celebrated across the industry on May 24, as a way to recognize the maintenance professionals throughout the industry.

"Charles E. Taylor Day is a welcomed reminder for us to stop and thank the men and women who keep our aircraft performing safely and reliably," says Paul Taylor, Alaska's managing director of line maintenance. "While most of us are at home asleep, aircraft technicians are hard at work to ensure a safe and on-time launch of the airline every day. Although the work doesn't stop today, we'll be celebrating with as many technicians as we can across our maintenance stations."

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 119 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Alaska Mileage Plan ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

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