With less than a month before the U.S. regional airline industry convenes in Indianapolis, the Regional Airline Association set the agenda to include discussions on hiring and training tomorrow’s pilots today and airport congestion pricing, which threatens regional airlines nationwide.
The title of the Airline Policy session says it all: Congestion Pricing – Regionals in the Crosshairs. Regionals have been under attack for years; wrongfully blamed for congestion when, in fact, studies indicate the growth of narrow-bodies and the saturation of hotly competitive leisure markets is actually more at fault along with the FAA’s failure to accommodate passenger demand. Their role as the gateway to worldwide airline services has been seriously eroded as limitations on regional jets have been set at one airport after another. See related story this issue. Related Story
Former Comair President Don Bornhorst, now a vice president at Delta, will weigh in on the problem along with DOT General Counsel DJ Gibbon and Former White House Domestic Policy Adviser Dorothy Robyn. Rounding out the panel will be Massport Executive Director Tom Kinton and Pinnacle Airlines CEO Phil Trenary.
RAA Vice President of Legislative Affairs will brief the industry on the view from Capitol Hill with the paramount issue remaining the passage of FAA reauthorization and the $25 user fee proposed by the Department of Transportation which will further erode regional ability to serve small and medium-sized communities.
Republic Holdings Inc Chair Brian Bedford, host for this year’s convention, will kick off the Wednesday events with a briefing on the state of the regional airline industry which is healthy but under pressure as mainline carriers reduce regional capacity and soaring fuel costs cut into operations.
The industry will tackle airline pilot hiring and training, something that has been on the minds of both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Air Line Pilots Association, both of whom have targeted regionals in their safety concerns. Related Story  The panel will be moderated by Flight Safety Foundation President Bill Voss and will include FAA Associate Administrator Nick Sabatini, with speakers including AIR, Inc President Kit Darby, American Eagle Director of Pilot Recruitment John Dixon and Purdue University’s Michael Sukow.
The convention also includes a non-stop exhibit hall, golf inside the historic Brickyard Crossing and an interactive Indy-style “RAA 500” on Wednesday evening. Thursday’s events include a purchasing seminar during which airline purchasing individuals will be available.