Tag Archive for: Press Release

UPS Pilots Remain Committed To Delivering This Christmas Despite Unresolved Contract

LOUISVILLE, KY, October 23, 2014 – “Will United Parcel Service deliver this Christmas? That’s the question that manufactures, shippers, retailers and consumers have been asking. While we can’t speak to all aspects of UPS’s operations, we can say that, despite UPS not finalizing our contract, we remain committed to delivering this Christmas season,” said Independent Pilot Association spokesman Brian Gaudet.

Gaudet went on to say, “UPS has done a lot to avoid a repeat of last year’s holiday delivery troubles: it developed and funded a $175 million Peak Plan; finalized its labor contract with the Teamsters; increased its seasonal hires by seventy-three percent.  But UPS didn’t do everything it needed to; UPS neglected its air operations by not finalizing the contract with its pilots.  We are now in our fourth-year of contract talks with UPS.  Notwithstanding this drawn out negotiation, the IPA remains committed to delivering this holiday season.  But we encourage UPS, for the benefit of its customers, to close out this critical unfinished business.”

To help make this point the IPA has taken out full-page ads in the Asian, European and Eastern U.S. editions of the October 24 issue of the Wall Street Journal, which can be seen at www.ipapilot.org

 The Independent Pilots Association represents the professional pilots flying for United Parcel Service.

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UPS PILOTS CALL FOR END OF PART 117 CARVE-OUT ON ANNIVERSARY OF FATIGUE CRASH

LOUISVILLE, KY, August 13 – On the eve of the first anniversary of the fatal crash of United Parcel Service Flight 1354, UPS pilots are calling for an end to the carve-out of all-cargo airline operators from FAR Part 117, the new pilot rest and operating rules enacted by Congress. On August 14th, 2013, at 4:47 AM CDT, UPS Flight 1354 crashed on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, killing Captain Cerea Beal, Jr. and First Officer Shanda Fanning.

“What we didn’t know then, but suspected, was the role fatigue played in this accident,” said Captain Robert Travis, President of the Independent Pilots Association. “Once the Cockpit Voice Recorder transcripts were released there was no doubt.  Cerea and Shanda told us on the CVR* that they were fatigued and wanted one level of safety in commercial aviation.”

Part 117, which became effective for passenger carriers on January 4, is the first major revision of pilot flight and duty limits and rest requirements in 60 years.  This new rule is science-based and designed to mitigate fatigue among commercial pilots.  Disturbingly, all-cargo airlines are carved out of Part 117 for “political” reasons, as noted last week by the FAA’s Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. James Fraser.

“This carve-out puts our nation’s entire aviation system at risk,” said Jim Hall, former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.  “A tired pilot is a tired pilot, regardless of the plane he or she may be flying.  By excluding cargo pilots from Part 117, the FAA is failing to adhere to its mission of making safety the first priority in aviation.  If the FAA believes even one life lost in an accident is too many, the principle should also apply to cargo pilots.”

From the moment the FAA announced the cargo carve-out, the IPA has fought to reverse it.  This includes suing the FAA.

“We had no choice but to lead this fight," said Travis.  "The crash of UPS Flight 1354 has intensified our efforts.  Tragically, Capt. Beal said to our Scheduling Committee Chairman just before the fatal flight, ‘these schedules over the past several years are killing me.’  We owe it to Cerea and Shanda, their families and every pilot, whether flying passengers or packages, to end this dangerous exclusion.  As we mark this difficult anniversary, I call on the FAA to end the cargo carve-out and apply one level of safety to all commercial aviation.”

*To see the whole transcript click onto the following-link  http://dms.ntsb.gov/public%2F55000-55499%2F55307%2F550788.pdf

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UPS Pilots Support the Boxer – Cantwell “Safe Skies Act”

WASHINGTON, November 13, 2013 – The Independent Pilots Association (UPS pilots) fully supports the “Safe Skies Act” introduced today by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and cosponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

 “Senator Boxer has shown continuing leadership by once again introducing legislation to ensure that the FAA’s flight duty and rest requirements equally apply to all-cargo carriers,” said IPA President, Captain Robert Travis.  “Her unwavering commitment will end the cargo carve out and bring Part 117 back in line with Congress’s original intent, one level of safety for U.S. aviation.”

 The Independent Pilots Association represents the 2,600 pilots who fly for United Parcel Service.

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Aircraft Incident, August 14th, 2013

UPS Flight 1354 from Louisville, KY to Birmingham, AL

At 6:11 a.m. EST, UPS Flight 1354 from Louisville, KY to Birmingham, AL, an A300 with two crewmembers, was involved in an accident on approach into the Birmingham airport. At this time, we have not confirmed the status of our pilots.

“This incident is very unfortunate, and our thoughts and prayers are with those involved,” said UPS Airlines President Mitch Nichols.

“We place the utmost value on the safety of our employees, our customers and the public. We will immediately engage with the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, and we will work exhaustively on response efforts,” continued Nichols.

UPS will release more facts about this accident as they become available, but the NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information going forward. 

To keep you informed of developments, UPS has established a media information hotline: (502) 329-0110.  A recorded message will provide updates as this situation unfolds; the system will also allow reporters to leave messages. 

Updates will also be provided via the Internet at www.pressroom.UPS.com.

Family members seeking information should telephone 800-631-0604

 

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UPS/IPA Joint Statement on Flight 1354

A UPS cargo plane was involved in an accident in Birmingham, Alabama.

A UPS cargo plane was involved in an accident in Birmingham, Alabama.

UPS has been notified that two of our crewmembers lost their lives in the accident involving UPS Flight 1354 at approximately 6 a.m. EDT today in Birmingham, Ala. However, UPS cannot disclose their names pending confirmation from the local coroner’s office.

The two pilots were flying an Airbus A300-600F from Louisville, Ky., to Birmingham when it was involved in an accident at Birmingham International Airport.

“All of us at UPS extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these two crewmembers,” said UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis. “Our efforts now are primarily focused on helping the families.”

The UPS Family Assistance Team already has reached out to support the crewmembers’ families during this difficult time, Davis said.

“We place utmost importance on the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve,” Davis said. “UPS is participating in the investigation.” The NTSB has taken the lead on the investigation and will release all information on its progress.

“The news from Birmingham is tragic,” said the president of the Independent Pilots Association, Captain Robert Travis. “UPS and the Independent Pilots Association lost two pilots who were dear friends, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families. IPA is working in full coordination and cooperation with UPS, the NTSB and local authorities.”

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Independent Pilots Association Joins International Transport Workers’ Federation: UPS Pilots Expand Global Labor Ties

The Independent Pilots Association (“IPA”) the US-based labor union representing 2600 UPS airline pilots has gained membership in the International Transport Workers’ Federation (“ITF,”) a global alliance of unions representing transportation workers.

“This is an important development in IPA’s history,” said Captain Robert Travis, President of the Independent Pilots Association.  “ITF membership gives us instant access to unions representing UPS workers around the globe.  The IPA’s acceptance into the organization is well timed given our ongoing contract negotiations with UPS.”

“IPA is strong union and a natural fit for the ITF,” said Ingo Marowsky ITF Global Head – Supply Chain and Logistics.  “We welcome IPA pilots as members of our global solidarity network.”

Founded in 1896, the ITF is an alliance of more than 700 transportation trade unions spread over 150 countries, representing more than 4.5 million workers.  In addition to having a robust Aviation division, the ITF has focused resources in developing a department related to research and analysis of supply chain and logistics companies such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, TNT, and DPD/GeoPost.

“There is no way to overstate the value of this new relationship.  With the resources of the ITF, we will have access to every major union contract covering UPS employees and UPS vendors worldwide as well as direct access to their leadership.  This information flow and these personal connections can and will strengthen the IPA’s ability to represent the interests of our members,” Travis added.

ITF is an accredited organization holding representational status with international bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Labor Organization.

“ITF membership will provide us with formal ties to these important international bodies that directly impact our careers,” said Travis.

The ITF has 21 United States member unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the National Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, the International Longshoremen’s Association, and the Transportation Workers’ Union.  The ITF is headquartered in London with regional offices on the continent of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australia.

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NTSB Issues Recommendations to Better Detect and Suppress Air Cargo Fires

The following quote is from Captain Robert Travis, President, Independent Pilots Association (UPS pilots) in reaction to the NTSB’s statement on fire suppression (see statement below).

“No pilot group is more aware of the tragedy that can result from in-flight smoke and fire than the IPA. We thank Chairman Hersman for her leadership in identifying the causes of these hazards, and the Board’s recommendations on preventing, detecting and suppressing fires on cargo aircraft.”

Press Release

National Transportation Safety Board
Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board today issued three recommendations to reduce the impact of in-flight fires aboard cargo airplanes, saying current fire protection regulations are inadequate.

The recommendations urge the Federal Aviation Administration to require active fire suppression systems in all cargo containers or compartments of cargo aircraft. They also recommend improving early detection of fires within cargo containers and pallets and urge that cargo containers provide better fire resistance.

The NTSB has led or participated in the investigation of three fire-related accidents involving cargo aircraft in the past six years. One involved a UPS aircraft in Philadelphia that was substantially damaged in 2006; another was a UPS flight that crashed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2010; and the third was an Asiana Cargo flight that crashed into the East China Sea off the coast of South Korea in 2011. The Dubai and South Korea investigations are ongoing under the direction of the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board of Korea respectively.

“These fires quickly grew out of control, leaving the crew with little time to get the aircraft on the ground,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “Detection, suppression and containment systems can give crews more time and more options. The current approach is not safe enough.”

NTSB investigators found that the early stages of a fire burning inside a cargo container are concealed from detection. In later stages, when the fire grows and does become detectable, it rapidly intensifies and burns through the container to become a substantial threat to the aircraft and crew. In the UAE crash, the crew had just 2 1/2 minutes between the fire detection and the onset of aircraft system failures.

“I also want to commend the air cargo industry for actively researching and implementing new fire prevention and suppression technologies,” said Hersman, who was briefed this week by UPS on its efforts. FedEx is in the process of installing a fire-suppression system on its long-haul fleet.

A link to the full text of the safety recommendations can be found here:http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2012/A-12-068-070.pdf

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UPS Pilot Court Challenge

FAA Admits to “Errors,” Agrees to Take New Look at Cargo Pilot Exclusion from Rest Rules

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2012 – Last night in a surprise move, the FAA admitted that it “discovered errors” during the course of preparing its court papers. The FAA now says it is ready to provide the relief requested by the Independent Pilots Association (UPS pilots union), and will take another look at whether cargo pilots should be excluded from new rest rules published in December.

The FAA filed a motion asking the Court for “an order holding this appeal in abeyance and remanding the record to the FAA to permit correction of newly discovered errors in the administrative record supporting the regulation at issue in this case as it pertains to all-cargo flight operations.”

The FAA said it “discovered errors in calculating the scope of costs associated with the implementation of the regulations (rest rules) for all cargo operations.”

As a result, the Agency proposes to “reopen the record by issuing a supplemental regulatory evaluation strictly limited to the application of the new regulations to all-cargo operations.” The FAA action, subject to court approval, would occur on an “expedited” basis and be subject to continued court supervision.

“In the context of our lawsuit, the FAA is now willing to allow for an open and public examination of the costs and benefits of having one level of aviation safety,” said IPA President Robert Travis. “The IPA welcomes this development.”

“This is the type of relief we asked the court to provide in our brief filed in April,” said IPA General Counsel William Trent of the UPS pilots union. “A flawed cost-benefit formula, issued at the last minute, without opportunity for public comment and examination, was at the core of our legal objections to the FAA’s exclusion of cargo pilots from new science-based pilot rest rules,” he added. The new regulations will continue in force with respect to passenger operations, as those regulations become effective in January 2014.

“Make no mistake, this is not a final victory,” said Travis. “However, getting the FAA to reconsider this critical safety issue under the bright light of full public scrutiny and accountability is an important first step.”

To view the motion and other materials related to IPA v. FAA, Cargo Airlines Association (USCA Case #11-1483), go to:
www.ipapilot.org/ipavfaa.asp

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UPS Pilots File Petitioner’s Brief in IPA v. FAA; Challenging CargoExclusion from Rest Rule

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 – The Independent Pilots Association (UPS pilots) last night filed its petitioner’s brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the FAA’s exclusion of Cargo operations from new rules governing pilot duty and rest requirements.

The following statement is from the IPA’s General Counsel William Trent:

“The FAA acted contrary to Congress’ mandate when the Agency published new pilot duty and rest rules in December  excluding a vast and growing segment of U.S. commercial aviation –cargo.  Congress specifically directed the FAA to address  the problem of pilot fatigue by issuing new rules based on the best available science.


The FAA initially agreed stating that the old rules ‘are inadequate to guard against fatigue and present an unacceptable risk to the public.’  Yet the same Agency, under intense cargo industry pressure, abruptly made a 180 degree turn and left cargo pilots under the same set of flawed rules that the FAA and Congress found lacking.


The UPS pilots challenge the FAA’s decision to exclude cargo operations from the new safety rules for three primary reasons. First, the FAA’s exclusion of cargo was based solely on a ‘cost-benefit’ analysis Congress never authorized the FAA to employ.

Next, the FAA exceeded its authority by relying on a sketchy, imprecise ‘cost-benefit’ formula that failed to account for benefits even the FAA acknowledged would accrue by applying the new rules to all cargo operations and in failing to consider other  obvious benefits.

Finally, the FAA failed to provide the public with legally required notice and opportunity to comment both with respect to its intent to treat cargo differently than passenger operations, and with respect to its reliance on a flawed cost-benefit formula that was made public, for the first time, only after announcing the new rule excluding cargo.

Importantly, however, the IPA does not seek to overturn the new rules as they relate to passenger operations, but only to have the Court order the FAA to reconsider the inclusion of cargo operations consistent with its mandate from Congress and laws  requiring adequate notice and opportunity for public comment.”

The Court has order that the FAA file its respondent’s brief by May 24, 2012. To see the IPA petitioner’s brief and other  materials related to IPA v. FAA, Cargo Airlines Association, go to: http://www.ipapilot.org/ipavfaa.asp

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U.S. Rep. Cravaack Introduces Bipartisan Aviation Reform Legislation

Safe Skies Act of 2012 would enhance aviation safety

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Chip Cravaack (R-MN)
and Tim Bishop (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4350, the Safe Skies Act of
2012. Importantly, the bill would ensure that pilot rest requirements
apply to all cargo air operations.

Following the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash on February 12, 2009, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed a rule to address pilot fatigue for passenger flights using extensive scientific study, hearings, and industry feedback.  The rule, which  requires eight hours of rest between shifts, was finalized on January 4th, 2012.  The rule is scheduled go into effect January 14, 2014, but exempts cargo pilots.


“As a former cargo pilot, I understand the importance of a single standard of safety for pilots who share the same airspace and runways with passenger aircraft.  I introduced the Safe Skies Act in order to apply the new, common sense standards for pilot  rest to cargo pilots as well,” said Rep. Cravaack.


Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to apply the rule relating to flight crew member duty and rest requirements to all-cargo operations in the same manner as they apply to passenger operations.


“Congressman Cravaack has shown real leadership today by introducing legislation to ensure that the FAA’s recently enacted flight duty and rest requirements for passenger airlines equally apply to all-cargo carriers,” said Independent Pilots Association President, Captain Robert Travis.  “The Cravaack-Bishop Safe Skies Act of 2012 will bring the FAA’s final rule back in line with  Congress’s original intent, one level of safety for U.S. aviation.”

Representative Cravaack serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee – where he is Vice Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee – the Homeland Security Committee, and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. The 8th Congressional District covers 18 counties in Northeast Minnesota.

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