US officials to increase regional carrier pilot training inspections

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On Tuesday, US government officials announced that inspections of regional airline pilot training programs would be stepped up in response to safety concerns that were raised from the regional airliner crash in upstate New York in February of this year.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration head Randy Babbitt issued a joint statement indicating that they would hold meetings with major and regional airlines next week in a drive to improve pilot training, cockpit discipline and to discuss other safety improvements.

Babbitt said that the crash of a regional airliner earlier this year in New York State made it clear that airline safety needed improvement.

In a statement, he commented: “My goal is to make sure that the entire industry, from large commercial carriers to smaller regional operators, is meeting our safety standard.”

James May, the president of the Air Transport Association, a group that represents large airlines, said the meeting was “an important step.” He compared the current efforts to a collaboration between government and the industry two years ago aimed at reducing dangerous runway incidents.

Roger Cohen, who is the president of the Regional Airline Association, endorsed the meeting as well.

He noted in a statement: “Safety always has been and always will be our number one priority.”

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