Aviation Organizations

I am currently a member of Airline Dispatchers Federation (ADF) they represent the professional interests of the dispatch profession. ADF’s constituency is comprised of licensed aircrafts dispatchers and operational control professionals from 100 aerospace companies including every major U.S. airline. Any questions you may have regarding dispatch can be answered here. If you follow them on Facebook they post all jobs that are available throughout United States. I know once I graduate with my FAA certificate I will search through their websites since they are linked with many major companies who are hiring. The other would be Women in Aviation International, many members who have established their careers in the aviation industry all over the world. Being a member keeps you connected to someone who shares your interests in the aviation world. ADF have many supporters such as: Sabre, Flamingo Air Inc., Professional Airline Flight Control Association (PAFCA), Skyguide – Swiss air navigation services ltd., The Weather Company, Jeppesen – A Boeing Company, Flightkeys 5D, Aerodata, Zetron, Robust Analytics (RA), INEMSOFT, IFOD, AVTEC, Russbassett and Lufthansa Systems. Airline Dispatchers Federation board is created by actual working dispatchers, it’s not a labor organization. Women in Aviation International is a nonprofit organization that encourages the advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests. Both organizations provide year-round resources to assist and encourage members in considering aviation as a career. WAI has partnered up with many corporate members such as: Spirit Airlines, ABX Air Inc., Air Wisconsin, Alaska, Ameriflight, Boeing, Bose, Cape Air Nantucket Airlines, David Clark, Delta, Endeavor Air, GoJet and hundreds more.

As for Airline Dispatcher Federation is filled with resources for aircraft dispatchers, they have yearly conferences and maintain the standards of the airline industry in general. They are dedicated to the advocacy of aircraft dispatchers in the United States.

The WAI encourages women to pursue a career in the aviation industry that is normally dominated by males. They provide an understanding and contribution of women in aviation such Amelia Earhart, Jeana Yeager and Bessie Coleman.

Women in Aviation International. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018 from https://www.wai.org/.

Airline Dispatchers Federation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2018 from https://www.dispatcher.org/.

Global Airlines: Is it a Fair Playing Field

It’s a bilateral air service agreement that the U.S. Government negotiates with other countries to provide rights for the airlines to offer international passenger and cargo services. It eliminates government interference in the commercial airline industry about routes, capacity, and pricing, so airlines can provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient air service to consumers. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have routes to 11 US gateway cities and there are 260 flights now serve the US every week from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Persian Gulf nations have spent about billions of dollars subsidizing their state-sponsored airlines, this is a violation of the Open Skies Agreement. Due to their governments’ help, they have been able to offer low fares to their customers and increasingly expanding their operations into the US it’s to benefit their own airlines, not the two that are originally stated in the US-UAE Open Skies Agreement. This only puts American jobs in jeopardy as they expand their operations in the US, it about 1500 U.S. jobs lost per route.

Delta, United and American Airlines, dubbed the US3 have been receiving government subsidies, but not just on the federal level but also on the state level. These US airline companies have been receiving subsidies and are not up in arms because non-US carriers are receiving government subsidies and it’s greater than what is being given to the US carriers.

The discrepancy that Emirates and many other carriers can borrow at low cost for aircraft financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank and similar agencies in Europe, Canada, Brazil and Japan. However, such financing is unavailable to U.S. and major European carriers. The foreign airlines are spending billions to purchase wide-body aircraft so they can increase flights to and from the US and unfairly compete against US airlines in the global marketplace.

In December 2017, the US Department of Transportation finalized its decision to grant Norwegian Air International approval to operate flights into the US. The Air Line Pilots Association are outraged by this decision because it will create an unfair competition and will ultimately result in the loss of US jobs and, potentially, significant losses for the US international aviation industry. However, Norwegian Air International are opening extra crew bases and plan on hiring US pilots and crew for that. The airline currently operates 450 routes with 150 destinations around the world, they have also been named the best long-haul low-cost airline in the world. It depends from what angle you’re looking at this controversial arrival of Norwegian Air International, they are taking routes away from US carriers at an exceptionally low fare but then on the other hand, they will be hiring US pilots and crews. Also, they are purchasing Boeing aircrafts, if the Open Skies Agreement is eliminated that will also put many US jobs out of work.

The U.S. airlines such as: Delta, United, and American are in a dogfight over whether the Trump administration should crack down on the two addressing the billions of dollars they claim Abu Dhabi and Doha are funneling toward their own their own airlines, and as a result, undermining the US carrier’s ability to compete internationally.

I have mix feelings regarding the situation because the US airlines have received government benefits in their own startup. I found facts that between 1918 and 1998 the federal government spent $150 billion in support of aviation. Deregulation and reduction in corporate welfare lead the industry into a more competitive industry. As the US government directly allotted $928 million in loans to three major airlines – Delta, United and American from 1957 to 1984 and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received about $55 billion to create and maintain air travel infrastructure. Once again, every major American airline companies had to be bailed out again by the government following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. But now because there’s another carrier the US carriers are claiming unfair competition which unfairly spur their growth.

                                                                                        

Debusmann Jr., Bernd. (October 8, 2017). ‘Open Skies’ vital to American job creation, says UAE’s US ambassador. Retrieved March 15, 2018 from http://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/transport/380579-open-skies-vital-to-american-job-creation-says-uaes-us-ambassador.

Stancy-Correll, Diana. (December 5, 2017). US airlines at odds over aviation agreements with Qatar and UAE. Retrieved on March 15, 2018 from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/us-airlines-at-odds-over-aviation-agreements-with-qatar-and-uae.

Schaal, Dennis. (October 9, 2015). Wikileaks Disclosure Shows U.S. Airlines Received Billions in Subsidies. Retrieved March 15, 2018 from https://skift.com/2015/04/09/wikileaks-disclosure-shows-u-s-airlines-received-billions-in-subsidies/.

Who should be the next FAA Administrator?

All the research that I’ve seen repeatedly seen is that according to Newsweek, Mr. Dunkin “oversaw the Trump presidential campaign’s air fleet since 1989, which included managing all aviation transportation for travel to 203 cities in 43 states over the course of 21 months.” Administration officials says Dunkin is more qualified for the FAA job than many people may realize according to The Washington Post. Dunkin also managed airline and corporate flight departments, certified airlines from start-up under FAA regulations.

Dan Elwell is the acting FAA Administrator and former American Airlines pilot, who is filing in after Huerta’s departure, is also a candidate to take on the job full-time. Elwell is a former pilot and has served in various roles at the FAA for years. He also worked as an executive representing the airline industry’s trade association from 2013-2015. Republican Representative Sam Graves from Missouri, who sits on the aviation subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is also reportedly a candidate. Bobby Sturgell, a former fighter pilot, naval Top Gun instructor and acting administrator under President George W. Bush who is now an aviation executive.

The current acting administrator, Elwell, is a pilot, was previously deputy administrator of the FAA and a senior advisor on aviation to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The FAA’s previous administrator, Michael Huerta, was an appointee of Trump predecessor Barack Obama and his term expired in January. Huerta is not a pilot, but he served as FAA’s deputy administrator and was the commissioner of New York City’s Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce.

The responsibilities of the FAA include: regulating civil aviation to promote safety within the U.S. and abroad; encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology; developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and military aircraft; researching and developing the National Airspace System and civil aeronautics; developing and carrying out programs to control aircraft noise and other environmental effects of civil aviation; and regulating U.S. commercial space transportation. The FAA license commercial space launch facilities and private launches of space payloads on expendable launch vehicles.

It’s most certainly important to whom will be the new FAA administrator, they would oversee airports, air-traffic organization, aviation safety, and commercial space transportation which has a $16 billion budget attached to it along with 47,000 employees. Throughout this research there weren’t many articles stating what needs changing and/or improving the FAA. The Washington Post claims that the next head of FAA faces a more daunting challenge than anyone who has ever held the job over the past 60 years. The big change that has been the work for years is the NextGen, an enormous modernization aviation system. The biggest concern here is that airlines are reluctant to invest in NextGen which would cost $200,000 per plane. The FAA along with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are the two main agencies world-wide responsible for the certification of aircraft.

Lanktree, Graham. (February 26, 2018). Who is John Dunkin? Trump wants his personal pilot to head the FAA. Retrieved March 2, 2018 from http://www.newsweek.com/who-john-dunkin-trump-wants-his-personal-pilot-head-faa-819300.

Laris, Michael and Halsey, Ashley III. (February 27, 2018). As Trump puts personal pilot on shortlist to head FAA, agency faces biggest challenges in decades. Retrieved March 2, 2018 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/as-trump-puts-longtime-personal-pilot-on-shortlist-to-head-faa-agency-faces-biggest-challenges-in-decades/2018/02/27/c1ac0102-1b4d-11e8-b2d9-08e748f892c0_story.html?utm_term=.ec20ab8b4fb4.