The union representing American Airlines pilots raised concerns about new cockpit procedures the airline implemented Tuesday, saying pilots were not given enough time or training to learn them.
While pilots normally receive formal in-person or online training on such procedural updates, Allied Pilots Association spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer told USA TODAY that they only received a training bulletin (or handout) with operational updates. An instruction manual with about 100 pages of reading and a short video with an overview of the changes that American pilots say are not unique to the aircraft they fly.
According to Tajer, the updates are designed to streamline pilot operations across the airline’s fleet.
“American Airlines Flight Operations management is attempting to circumvent robust safety-related pilot training by unilaterally imposing operational changes through a bulletin,” leaders of the APA, which represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots, said in a post on their website Monday. “While APA is not opposed to fleet alignment, we remain committed to ensuring that pilots are properly trained before operating with passengers.”
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The post continued: “Attempting to exercise bulletin board while ignoring serious security concerns and well-established best practices risks dramatically eroding security boundaries.”
“Our commitment to safety is unwavering, which is why we regularly update our Aircraft Operating Instructions to reflect the latest and safest information for our pilots,” an American Airlines spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “These changes reflect industry best practice and ensure crew coordination and consistency across fleet types so our pilots can easily transition between different aircraft if they choose.”
The spokesman said that the changes are in the works from 2021 and are implemented jointly with the training committee of the APA, and said that the approach to “familiarization” of pilots is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Tajer said that there is no cooperation with APA regarding the special changes implemented on Tuesday.
While self-study is a normal part of how pilots train, Tajer says, “A reading assignment is not proper flight training.” He added that the pilots received the materials in early December and were given a month to review them, “1/12th” of the time they would normally have to familiarize themselves with and practice similar innovations.
According to him, the trade union asked to delay the implementation of the changes, but the management refused. “We want it to work,” he said. “We understand what they’re trying to do, but like anything on a flight deck, you have to be trained.” The union also contacted the FAA, asking them to intervene, Tajer said, but the agency declined.
“The FAA requires airlines to have robust safety management systems that allow employees to raise safety concerns,” the FAA said in an emailed statement to TODAY. “The agency reviews those employee reports daily to ensure the safety of the airline’s operations.”
The agency also said it reviews and approves all training materials. But he did not respond to APA’s request to intervene in the matter.
What are the new American Airlines protocols?
According to APA, the new protocols affect a number of cockpit procedures, including “how pilots communicate, coordinate and perform flight safety duties during some of the most dangerous times of flight.” These are low-visibility approaches, rejected flights – where the aircraft is aborted – and other scenarios.
Tajer said the pilots received a letter on Jan. 1, which he shared with USA TODAY, advising pilots that “the changes during this learning period are so small that mixing the new ones with our current calls and procedures will not pose an undue risk,” the letter read.
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“On a flight deck, mixing procedures – with less reliable ones – is imprudent,” he said, adding that management had “dropped its jaw”.