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Rep. Carbajal and Cargo Pilots Introduce Safe Skies Act

Posted at 8:21 PM, Nov 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-20 01:53:16-05

Rep. Salud Carbajal introduced the Safe Skies Act of 2019 which would ensure cargo pilots are operating under rules that fight fatigue and keep our airspace free from danger.

According to a press release, cargo pilots are operating under weaker flight, duty and rest regulations than their commercial airline counterparts. This leads to increased pilot fatigue and duress, and can have damaging consequences for all who use our airspace.

"As aviation safety continues to make headlines, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure pilots, crews, passengers and all who share our skies are protected. The bipartisan Safe Skies Act is a commonsense bill that puts safety first," said Rep. Carbajal. "By enhancing the safety rules of cargo pilots to the same standards as their commercial counterparts, we are closing a safety loophole that puts undue stress and fatigue on our cargo pilots. We need one strong standard of safety, and this bill would make that standard a reality."

The bill, introduced by Carbajal, is co-sponsored by Reps. John Katko (R-NY-24), Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01).

Members of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, cargo pilots, commercial pilots and aviation experts also helped introduce the bill.