REPORT. of the PRESIDENT S COMMITTEE FOR CARGO. to the BOARD OF DIRECTORS OCTOBER 2016

Transcription

1 REPORT of the PRESIDENT S COMMITTEE FOR CARGO to the BOARD OF DIRECTORS OCTOBER 2016 Captain Richard Hughey (FDX), Chair First Officer Preston Greene (FDX), Vice Chair

2 Report of the President s Committee for Cargo The President s Committee for Cargo (PCFC) is comprised of pilot representatives from ALPA airlines that are either all-cargo or have combined cargo/passenger operations. It is not part of the ASO, but its activities are coordinated with and assisted by the ASO. The PCFC was formed in 2002 to address the unique issues facing cargo pilots. ALPA has advocated the need for all-cargo carriers to be brought up to the "One Level of Safety and Security" that the Association has strived to implement for the passenger industry. This committee works directly within the established ALPA structure and acts as an advocate on issues that must be improved within the realm of cargo operations. With the rapid growth in the cargo industry, many unique safety and security concerns need to be improved via regulatory legislation and improved policies and procedures. The PCFC has been very active over the last two years. Before explaining what has been done and how it has been achieved, it is needful to stress that teamwork is the overarching theme of this Committee. None of the accomplishments toward improving the profession and enhancing the safety and security of all-cargo operators is done without the whole of ALPA s involvement. Cargo vs. Passenger Accident Rates All-cargo operations comprise only seven (7) percent of all Part 7% 121 operations based on numbers of departures, but they account for a disproportionately greater Passenger number of major accidents. In fact, if the passenger airlines Cargo 93% excellent accident rate was flown by the cargo airline industry (7%), the all-cargo carriers would have According to DoT, BTS/RITA data only one major accident in those 10 years from However, if the cargo accident rate was flown by the passenger airlines (93%), the passenger carriers would have 277 major accidents in those same 10 years from ! So, there is much work to do to bring the cargo airline industry s safety record up to the same level which the passenger airline carriers presently enjoy. It is up to us all of ALPA to bring this safety performance disparity into parity and achieve One Level of Safety. 2

3 The following is a description of how the PCFC advocates for safety and security improvements for all-cargo operations. Public Engagement: Part of our work is done in our public events, like the annual Air Safety Forum and more recently, a one-day Air Cargo Symposium in November In recent Air Safety Forum events, we have had both a panel capturing the all-cargo risk areas (e.g., fatigue, DG/Li batteries, loading, security, aviation infrastructure, etc.) as well as several years where a single panel specifically addressed the risks on air carriage of lithium batteries. These were conscious decisions made by ALPA to emphasize cargo needs to the safety/security side of our industry. At the 2015 Air Cargo Symposium, another panel reiterated the many risks of air cargo operations along with specific panels on those risk areas. During these public events, with the support of the ALPA President, the ASO and the ALPA DG program, PCFC has teamed up with ALPA s Engineering & Air Safety department, plus Communications and Government Affairs departments, to change the emphasis and engagement of stakeholders towards improvement of safety performance in all-cargo operations. Personal Engagement: Another important aspect of the work in PCFC is the engagement in personal relationships, closed meetings and discussions with industry stakeholders, which have resulted in equally positive outcomes. ALPA President Tim Canoll and First Vice President Joe DePete, and many ALPA teammates have carried the PCFC message on risks in both safety and security to all-cargo operations and the obvious safety performance disparity in major accidents in the last 15 years. PCFC outreach and engagement with multiple individuals within NTSB, FAA, TSA, DOT and Transport Canada have provided another level of awareness to the message of the PCFC. In coordination with the President, discussions with independent pilot unions create synergy with PCFC and ALPA members to be discussed and, in turn, coordinate efforts on lithium batteries and cargo loading as well as legislative efforts on common safety and security issues. Moving Forward: We are presently witnessing an industry shift towards improving safety and security in all-cargo operations. This is evidenced by such activity as the following: CAST/JIMDAT Cargo Working Group: ALPA has been asked to be part of this working group that will review and analyze the accidents, incidents and operational environment of all-cargo operations. This is a unique opportunity and the PCFC Chairman, in conjunction with the E&AS department staff, will offer subject matter expertise to this working group. 3

4 SAE G27 Working Group: Charged with developing standards for performancebased packaging in the carriage of lithium batteries by air, five ALPA members are on this working group and one is on the writing committee. Progress has been made on what is possibly the most significant threat to all-cargo and passenger operations. FAA Cargo Focus Team: The FAA s Cargo Focus Team (CFT) briefed ALPA in May 2016 and is moving forward with its road show to other organizations and airlines as they review and validate the cargo-loading procedures of every Part 121 carrier, passenger and all-cargo alike. The FAA CFT was a recommendation from the investigation of the 2013 National Air Cargo accident in Bagram, Afghanistan. Another outcome was the initiation of an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) to establish an FAA Loadmaster certification with duty/rest requirements. Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) for Loadmaster Certification: An E&AS ALPA senior staff engineer with 20 years of loadmaster experience has been chosen by FAA to chair this new ARAC group to determine whether the agency should create a loadmaster certification. The PCFC chair will serve as the ALPA pilot representative on this group. Security in All-Cargo Operations: In recent years, PCFC and the ASO s Aviation Security Group have highlighted shortfalls in security of the supply chain (people, physical and cyber), the cargo ramp environment and the cockpits of all-cargo aircraft. The disparities range from the actual screening of cargo, to 10-year Criminal History Record Checks (CHRC) for ramp workers and animal handlers, to Intrusion Resistant Cockpit Doors (IRCD) that create a reactionary gap for the flight deck. All this culminates in a common strategy that doesn t fit for all-cargo operations. TSA Engagement: TSA s Office of the Chief Risk Officer (OCRO) has established an Integrated Planning Team (IPT) to assess risk and specifically review cockpit access as overlaid with FFDO deployment on aircraft without hardened cockpit doors, among other gaps in security associated with all-cargo air operations. This effort has also spilled over to the FAA in relation to PIC authority and cockpit access. PCFC is drafting a cargo common strategy (i.e., anti-hijacking plan) for all-cargo operations, which will be presented to TSA upon completion. Legislative Efforts: Science-based FT/DT/Rest rules for all cargo operations gained support via a legislative amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill in the Senate. This would have ended the cargo carve-out and included cargo into Part 117, but the short-term reauthorization bill enacted by Congress in July 2016 did not include the provision. While not a perfect fit and not reflective of the only science-based method for night time operations, it did underscore the importance of the need for science-based FT/DT/rest rules for all-cargo pilots in the US and Canada. 4

5 Lastly, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are a major topic and point of concern. These systems are likely to impact all-cargo operations in the near term and PCFC is coordinating an ALPA PCFC road map for this particular issue. This plan will include safety, security as well as affiliation of future UAS pilot groups with ALPA. We have a lot of work to do and time is a critical element to our success. Thank you for your willingness to be part of the solution for our association. Thank you for your support in the efforts pursued by the ALPA President s Committee for Cargo. Captain Richard Hughey, Chairman First Officer Preston Greene, Vice Chairman 5