The American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Monday that it had rejected Republic Airways’ proposal to lower the amount of training time required for a co-pilot.
The FAA stated that it disagreed with the airline’s justification for allowing only 750 hours rather than 1,500 hours of flight experience. While the CEO of Republic expressed disappointment at the decision and claimed that Republic’s approach would have improved safety, the leader of a pilots union praised the decision as a ‘great win’ for aviation safety.
Republic, based in Indiana, had asked for an exemption that would enable graduates of its pilot training programme to apply for a restricted airline transport pilot certificate with the same minimal aeronautical experience as pilots who are currently serving in the military or who have previously served in the military.
Republic operates under the main airline partner brands of American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express, and offers close to 1,000 daily flights to 100 locations throughout 40 U.S. states.
According to the FAA, the airline’s new training programme does not offer the same level of safety as the law requiring a pilot to have 1,500 hours of flight experience before being hired by an airline.
The FAA stated that several unions had objected to Republic’s request, with some claiming that a decrease in flight hours and loosening of regulations ‘would compromise safety and result in unskilled pilots.’
Regional airlines claim they are unable to locate enough competent pilots to meet demand due to a scarcity of pilots.
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