SWAPA Strongly Supports Bipartisan Bill to End Flags of Convenience Air Carrier Schemes

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Southwest Airlines Pilots Association

Jul 10, 2019, 12:44 ET

DALLAS, July 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) today announced its strong support for H.R. 3632, the Fair and Open Skies Act, which will prevent Flag of Convenience (FOC) air carriers from flying to the United States. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA), Aviation Subcommittee Vice Chairwoman Sharice Davids (D-KS), Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL), and Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-GA), sends a clear message to the international airline industry that Flag of Convenience air carriers will not fly here in the U.S.

Just as similar flag of convenience operators destroyed the U.S. shipping industry decades ago FOC air carriers will decimate the U.S. aviation industry. The atypical employment model often employed by FOC air carriers poses a serious threat to aviation safety as well as the traveling public. "Flight crews who work with no direct line of communication to airline management often lack the ability to highlight potential safety or operational issues. Clear and open communication between frontline operators and airline management is critical to running a safe and efficient airline," said Captain Jon Weaks, SWAPA President.

SWAPA sincerely appreciates the leadership of Chairman DeFazio, as well as the bipartisan efforts of all of the original co-sponsors, to ensure a level playing field for all U.S. carriers in the international air travel industry, where too often the rules are skewed against the U.S. SWAPA applauds the effort to uphold the labor standards that our pilots, along with the entire U.S. aviation labor community, have spent decades building. These hard-fought-for standards are the foundation that have made the U.S. into the pinnacle of aviation safety and should never be for sale.

About SWAPA
Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization and the sole bargaining unit for the more than 9,600 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA, now in its 40th year, works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights, and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, visit www.swapa.org.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Pilots Association