{"id":1764,"date":"2020-02-26T16:05:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T21:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/framinghamsource.com\/?p=1764"},"modified":"2020-02-27T13:24:49","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T18:24:49","slug":"sen-markey-leads-legislation-to-overhaul-aviation-industrys-self-regulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/framinghamsource.com\/index.php\/2020\/02\/26\/sen-markey-leads-legislation-to-overhaul-aviation-industrys-self-regulation\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Markey Leads Legislation To Overhaul Aviation Industry’s Self Regulation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following is a media release from Sen. Ed Markey\u2019s offices. He was elected by voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve the state in Washington DC in the US Senate. He is a Democrat<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Tom Udall (D-NM), members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, yesterday, February 25, introduced comprehensive legislation revamping oversight of the aviation industry to prioritize consumer safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Restoring Aviation Accountability Act would reform the federal government\u2019s role in certifying safety in the aviation industry following two Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes \u2013 Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 \u2013 that killed 346 people within five months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cReform is vital to putting aviation safety first,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cReturning power to federal regulators is a necessary first step to restore accountability, but only one step toward comprehensive reform.\u00a0Left to its own devices, the aviation industry has put corporate profits before consumer safety. When safety is inexcusably compromised like it was by Boeing \u2013 certification rushed, whistleblowers gagged, critical information deliberately concealed, speed and earnings prioritized \u2013 lives are tragically lost and families devastated. The system in place is broken and we must make it right before more lives are lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe two tragic crashes of the 737 MAX killed 346 people and revealed systemic flaws in our commercial aviation system. Today we honor the memories of those victims, and pledge to their families and the whole flying public that we will restore accountability in the skies. Safety must always be our number one priority, and I am proud to join Senator Blumenthal in introducing this essential legislation,\u201d said Markey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe two\u00a0tragic\u00a0Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes revealed substantial\u00a0weakness in the FAA certification process\u00a0and a\u00a0cozy\u00a0culture\u00a0with industry\u00a0that pushed speed and profit at the expense of safety.\u00a0This utter debacle cost hundreds of lives and billions of dollars\u2014proving that we\u00a0cannot\u00a0rely on aircraft manufacturers to regulate their own safety standards.\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Udall.\u00a0\u201cThe American people expect the FAA to be tough, independent and uncompromising when it comes to their safety, and this new bill would restore integrity in the FAA\u2019s certification process while restoring the flying public\u2019s faith in American aviation.\u00a0 I hope the Senate Commerce Committee can come together and approve a strong bill in the near future to protect all people who use air travel to\u00a0visit\u00a0their families, conduct business, and see the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This legislation is supported by a number of aviation industry groups, including the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Government Accountability Project (GAP), the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Restoring Aviation Accountability Act of 2020 upgrades aviation whistleblowing protections to parity with all other federal whistleblowing statutes passed in the last two decades. Beyond implementing an incentive system for reporting and ensuring individuals aren\u2019t gagged from reporting wrongdoing, the bill offers best practice retaliation protections for an expanded class of whistleblowers, and in certain cases allows these folks to make their case before a jury of their peers. The Government Accountability Project is proud to endorse this legislation and heartily recommends its passage. We thank Senator Blumenthal and his staff for their dedication to protecting and encouraging overseers\u2019 eyes and ears on the ground and in the air,\u201d said Government Accountability Project Deputy Legislative Director Irvin McCullough.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cALPA applauds Senator Blumenthal for his work on the Restoring Aviation Accountability Act of 2020.\u00a0 This bill is a safety-first measure that makes a number of improvements in the aviation system, including aircraft certification, delegated authority and the oversight of the FAA\u2019s certification process. In addition, the legislation more directly involves those on the front of lines of keeping our skies safe \u2013 airline pilots \u2013 in the aircraft certification process.\u00a0 ALPA looks forward to working with other safety-minded leaders like Senator Blumenthal to see this bill enacted into law,\u201d said president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int\u2019l Capt. Joe DePete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTWU was the first union to call for grounding the MAX because our members saw how unsafe the system that approved that plane was. This bill would address those systemic problems and help ensure that airline workers and travelers have a safe experience on our aircraft,\u201d said TWU International President John Samuelsen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Restoring Aviation Accountability Act effectively reverses the provisions enacted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018, which allowed the aviation industry to regulate many of its own certification processes. As a result, Boeing\u2019s automated system MCAS, which has been widely recognized as the cause of the deadly Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes, was never fully analyzed by the FAA while Boeing downplayed its risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Among a number of reforms, the Restoring Aviation Accountability Act would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n