FORT WORTH, Texas (May 11, 2021) – The Allied Pilots Association (APA), representing the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, expressed strong support for the newly reintroduced Fair and Open Skies Act.

The bipartisan legislation, reintroduced today, seeks to preclude new foreign airlines from operating to and from the United States when they exploit “flags of convenience” to avoid the regulations of their home countries, or otherwise undermine labor standards. 

“Flag-of-convenience schemes pose a safety threat by inhibiting the development of a proper safety culture due to fear of reprisal, and they also threaten the livelihoods of our nation’s airline workers,” Allied Pilots Association President Capt. Eric Ferguson said. “For a healthy safety culture to thrive, the carrier’s crewmembers must be accorded protections and able to exercise an independent voice without intimidation.”

Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA), Committee Vice Chair Sharice Davids (D-KS), Subcommittee Vice Chair Conor Lamb (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Rodney Davis (R-IL), and Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), and Kaiali’i Kahele (D-HI) reintroduced the bill today.