Third-ranking Senate Republican John Thune of South Dakota added a proposal to the recently-introduced FAA reauthorization bill hoping to amend the 1,500-hour requirement for airline pilot hiring. The rule, enacted in July 2013, requires Part 121 airline new hires to qualify for an ATP certificate before starting work. Thune says he believes what he calls a “narrow revision” to the law “preserves the strong safety demands of the original law, but will offer ways to make it easier for regional airlines to hire copilots.”
Senate Amendment Could Alter 1,500-hour Pilot Rule
Key Takeaways:
- Senator John Thune proposes an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill to revise the 2013 1,500-hour pilot qualification rule for Part 121 airlines, aiming to prioritize training quality over quantity to ease hiring for regional airlines.
- The proposal could allow pilots to receive credit for academic work from unaccredited institutions and possibly airline training, which Thune describes as a "narrow revision" preserving safety.
- The amendment faces strong opposition from Democratic senators and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), who argue it would "water down" safety standards established after the 2009 Colgan Flight 3407 crash.
- ALPA highlights the absence of Part 121 fatalities since the 1,500-hour rule's implementation, though some experts suggest the improved safety record might be coincidental.
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