Airline's labor fight threatens safety program

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/438434.html

By TREBOR BANSTETTER
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

A much-lauded safety program at American Airlines is at risk of being eliminated amid the latest dispute between pilots and airline officials.

The program, which began in 1994, allows pilots to voluntarily report safety-related incidents for investigation without fear of discipline from the company or the Federal Aviation Administration, even if the pilot is determined to have been at fault. Dubbed ASAP, or "aviation safety action partnership," it has served as a model for the industry, inspiring other airlines to establish similar rules. American also has ASAP programs with mechanics and dispatchers.

The current program expires Feb. 7. In recent days, talks to renew the program have broken down over how discipline is handled for a small number of cases.

Officials with the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American pilots, allege that in some cases, the company has unfairly disciplined pilots even when an incident was accepted for review under the program. That, they argue, has made pilots wary of participating and could eventually increase the chances of safety breakdowns.

"Attempting to force safe operations through punitive discipline is an ineffective approach long abandoned by experts in aviation safety," wrote union President Lloyd Hill in a Jan. 24 letter to Gerard Arpey, American's chief executive. "Allowing American Airlines to adopt such an approach vastly increases the risk to shareholders of a catastrophic accident."

Airline officials counter that discipline is extremely rare when ASAP reports have been filed, and they deny that there has been any attempt to intimidate pilots. They note that other programs for reporting safety issues will remain in place even if the ASAP program expires.

FULL story at link.

[cpamomfromtexas]

1. Trebor Banstettor's had his palms greased by AMR- you can bet on that just like all the judges

He doesn't even ask the obvious questions.

The ASAP agreement was groundbreaking when it was established, every other airline has replicated it. Now they want to take hostages for people coming forward and sharing information which creates training and a knowledge base for safety.

Banstettor and the Fort Worth Star Telegram are trained monkeys.