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US pilots express concern over virus prevention guidelines
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2020/04/14 09:56:20
PILOTS are urging the US Federal Aviation Administration to make sure airlines are following federal health guidelines for notifying workers when a colleague tests positive for the coronavirus and properly disinfecting cockpits.
The Air Line Pilots Association has urged the agency to order airlines to comply with notification guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and to do a better job sanitizing workspaces, reported American Shipper.
The group, which represents 63,000 pilots at 35 US and Canadian carriers, said the FAA's existing safety alert isn't strong enough to get airlines to strictly follow the government guidelines.
"Written directives with legal authority and the risk of FAA enforcement action, fine or penalty are necessary to assure full adherence to the CDC standards. Failures to follow these minimum standards risk greater spread of infection and increased loss of life," ALPA president Joe DePete said in a letter to FAA administrator Stephen Dickson.
Airlines are not uniformly obeying guidance to notify crew members who have had prior contact with individuals subsequently determined to be infected by the coronavirus and to clean aircraft between flights with disinfectants that have a minimum 70 per cent alcohol-based solution, the letter claimed.
"Airlines ranging from cargo, to mainline, to regional carriers have reportedly not been in compliance with voluntary CDC guidance," ALPA spokesperson Corey Kuhn added in an email.
Cargo airlines with pilots who belong to ALPA are FedEx Express, Air Transport International and Kalitta Air.
"I have spoken to our members and all of them have told me they are strictly following all CDC, FAA and World Health Organization Covid-19 best practices and indeed, going beyond the four corners of those requirements, to protect their employees," Cargo Airline Association president Steve Alterman told FreightWaves, adding it's difficult to respond to unspecified allegations.
"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is - and always will be - the top priority of US airlines. Since the onset and throughout the duration of the Covid-19 crisis, US carriers have closely followed and complied with all health and safety rules, as well as CDC and FAA guidance provided to airlines for passengers and crew, and will continue to do so," Airlines for America said in a statement.
Atlas Air said its Pilot Support Group contacts every crew member to confirm they have not experienced symptoms. If any symptoms are detected, the crew member is immediately self-quarantined and monitored.
Delta Air Lines has implemented a fogging procedure using a high-grade disinfectant that is sprayed throughout the cabin and crew areas before regular cleaning by cleaning crews. It's the same type of sanitizing spray used in hospitals, it says.
The Air Line Pilots Association has urged the agency to order airlines to comply with notification guidelines from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and to do a better job sanitizing workspaces, reported American Shipper.
The group, which represents 63,000 pilots at 35 US and Canadian carriers, said the FAA's existing safety alert isn't strong enough to get airlines to strictly follow the government guidelines.
"Written directives with legal authority and the risk of FAA enforcement action, fine or penalty are necessary to assure full adherence to the CDC standards. Failures to follow these minimum standards risk greater spread of infection and increased loss of life," ALPA president Joe DePete said in a letter to FAA administrator Stephen Dickson.
Airlines are not uniformly obeying guidance to notify crew members who have had prior contact with individuals subsequently determined to be infected by the coronavirus and to clean aircraft between flights with disinfectants that have a minimum 70 per cent alcohol-based solution, the letter claimed.
"Airlines ranging from cargo, to mainline, to regional carriers have reportedly not been in compliance with voluntary CDC guidance," ALPA spokesperson Corey Kuhn added in an email.
Cargo airlines with pilots who belong to ALPA are FedEx Express, Air Transport International and Kalitta Air.
"I have spoken to our members and all of them have told me they are strictly following all CDC, FAA and World Health Organization Covid-19 best practices and indeed, going beyond the four corners of those requirements, to protect their employees," Cargo Airline Association president Steve Alterman told FreightWaves, adding it's difficult to respond to unspecified allegations.
"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is - and always will be - the top priority of US airlines. Since the onset and throughout the duration of the Covid-19 crisis, US carriers have closely followed and complied with all health and safety rules, as well as CDC and FAA guidance provided to airlines for passengers and crew, and will continue to do so," Airlines for America said in a statement.
Atlas Air said its Pilot Support Group contacts every crew member to confirm they have not experienced symptoms. If any symptoms are detected, the crew member is immediately self-quarantined and monitored.
Delta Air Lines has implemented a fogging procedure using a high-grade disinfectant that is sprayed throughout the cabin and crew areas before regular cleaning by cleaning crews. It's the same type of sanitizing spray used in hospitals, it says.