2.26.25 – Prioritizing Aviation Safety

Prioritizing Aviation Safety

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

In response to the arbitrary cuts at government agencies that oversee U.S. aviation safety, APFA National President Julie Hedrick sent a letter to Congressional leaders in the House and Senate addressing Flight Attendant concerns. In the letter, President Hedrick wrote:

“As Flight Attendants, we recognize our role and responsibilities as safety professionals can be the difference in saving the lives of our passengers. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), representing more than 28,000 Flight Attendants at American Airlines, is alarmed by the numerous and fast-paced changes in various agencies that oversee the U.S. aviation safety system. Few are more familiar with the complex nature of our aviation safety system than you and your committee members. As an industry, it is imperative that we work together to ensure the adequate funding, training, regulations, and protections necessary to maintain the highest level of safety in our airspace.”

Read the full letter here.

Due to our stringent standards and regulations, U.S. aviation is widely considered the gold standard of safety in the world. Our safety systems contain redundancies that prevent accidents before they occur, and if they do, we adjust our systems and regulations to ensure they never happen again. Last year, the aviation community passed major aviation legislation that would enhance many areas of aviation safety, essentially a roadmap of identified areas that we can improve upon. The majority of that bill has yet to be implemented, so we are calling on our government leaders to prioritize the implementation of all safety-related provisions.

“In 2024, Congress gave clear direction to the DOT and FAA in regard to enhancing numerous areas of aviation safety. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 was crafted over many months with extensive stakeholder input from all sectors of the aviation industry. The bill includes passenger safety items that APFA members are responsible for overseeing in the cabin. In addition, we are calling for the necessary investments and strategies outlined in the legislation to modernize and properly staff and equip our air traffic control systems. We urge our leaders at DOT and FAA to focus their efforts on implementing the thoroughly considered provisions in the overwhelmingly bipartisan bill.”

APFA will continue to monitor and push back against reductions in workforce in the federal government, particularly where they impact safety. You may also consider filing a Cabin ASAP report. Cabin ASAP data helps to identify safety concerns and can lead to potential improvements in procedures and training.

In Solidarity,

Allie Malis
Lori Vitto-Glattly
APFA Government Affairs Representatives
[email protected]