“We’re asking the FAA to take the next logical step on passenger safety,” said NACA President and CEO George Novak. “The laws regarding unruly passengers are already on the books and keeping our flight crewmembers and fellow passengers safe is a policy that should not have an expiration date. The zero-tolerance policy against actions that threaten the safety of passengers and crew really should be permanent.”

“As air traffic volume increases with the removal of pandemic travel restrictions, some delays and a few flight cancellations may be inevitable,” Novak continued. “It’s important that the traveling public be aware, be prepared, and be highly respectful of the flight crews and airport staff that are responsible for their safety. Making the zero-tolerance policy permanent will send a strong signal that those who willfully break the law will be punished. We believe this will greatly reduce the number of incidents over time.”

In light of the announcement that FAA Associate Administrator for Safety Ali Bahrami will be retiring June 30, 2021, NACA President and CEO George Novak issued the following statement:

“NACA congratulates FAA Associate Administrator for Safety Ali Bahrami on his retirement from the agency. Ali’s leadership, dedication, and collaborative work throughout his distinguished public and private sector career have helped to advance the safety of global civil aviation by validating new commercial aircraft systems and promoting international cooperation on aviation safety issues. More than half a billion passengers fly safely in the United States every year through the efforts of Ali and his team. As a result of the bold and dynamic initiatives he championed as the nation’s top aviation safety official, the United States will continue to set the gold standard for aviation safety across the globe. We are grateful for his public service and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Today NACA joined a coalition of aviation and manufacturing associations to urge congressional leaders to pass a wide range of legislative initiatives helping an already green aviation industry become even greener. The proposals focus on four key areas:

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel development, production and distribution
• Low/no emission technologies deployment
• Aviation environmental research and development
• Air traffic management modernization

NACA’s member carriers are driven to be highly fuel- and carbon-efficient and help lead our nation’s fight against climate change. By offering more passenger seating than other airlines on similarly-sized aircraft, the nation’s five ultra-low cost carriers – Avelo Airlines, Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines – have the lowest fuel consumption per seat in the United States. We believe these legislative initiatives will enhance the U.S. airline industry’s ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and would pay near- and long-term dividends in the battle against climate change.

A copy of the letter and legislative initiatives can be found here.

In response to the March 15 announcement that FA Administrator Steve Dickson was ordering the extension of the FAA’s Special Enforcement Emphasis Program indefinitely, NACA President and CEO George Novak issued the following statement:

The National Air Carrier Association applauds the decision by FAA Administrator Steve Dickson to extend the FAA’s Special Emphasis Enforcement Program against unruly passengers indefinitely. Unruly passenger incidents — which remain at an alarmingly high level — truly put public health and the safety of our aircrews at risk. Zero tolerance enforcement is a necessary step to deter these incidents and we support the decision to keep the program in place at least as long as the implementing TSA Security Directive is in place.

On January 28, 2021, in response to media reports indicating the Biden Administration is considering imposing a COVID-19 testing requirement for domestic air passengers, NACA President and CEO George Novak issued the following statement:

NACA strongly supports CDC’s most recent efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in all transportation modes, including aviation, by mandating that passengers and workers wear face coverings. However, we are concerned by recent reports that the CDC is actively considering a requirement for pre-flight COVID testing on domestic flights. Scientific evidence, demonstrated in the November study conducted by the Harvard Aviation Public Health Initiative, suggests that air travel is as safe as — or substantially safer than — the routine activities people undertake during these times, including commuting, eating out and grocery shopping.

We believe implementation of such a requirement would be extremely difficult given the high cost and continuing low availability of COVID-19 testing in the United States. Furthermore, such a proposal would disproportionately impact aviation vis-à-vis rail, bus and public transit, all of which have similar passenger seating environments, because travelers may be unwilling or unable to get testing before flying. In addition, a domestic testing requirement for air travel will inevitably result in potential air travelers electing to drive to their destinations, which is statistically more dangerous than flying and could lead to higher rates of COVID-19 transmission, as road trips typically include indoor food and rest stops.

Finally, imposing such a testing requirement domestically would be devastating to the U.S. airline industry and airline workers by further depressing U.S. air passenger volumes, which reached a six-month low yesterday in terms of TSA traveler screenings. The adverse economic impacts would necessitate financial assistance from the Federal Government well above and beyond the Department of Treasury’s Airline Payroll Support Program, since labor costs are approximately 25% of airline operating costs.

We look forward to continue working collaboratively with CDC, DHS, the FAA, airline unions, and other aviation stakeholders to implement science-based initiatives to further enhance the safety of our passengers and crew.