Following the crash of a Colgan Air flight in Buffalo, NY in February, the FAA announced a "Call to Action" to discuss best practices and essential safety programs with carriers.

The goal was to make sure that carriers, particularly regional jets and other smaller operators, were doing everything they could to avoid the mistakes that doomed the Colgan flight.

The regulator asked for written commitments to implement voluntary safety programs, such as the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) and Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), which provide the government and carriers with data about safety risks.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbit said "the majority of U.S. air carriers responded to our Call to Action with written commitments to implement several 'best practices' and to adhere to the highest professional standards. We take these commitments very seriously, and believe they are a big step toward making future commercial air travel even safer than it is today."

The FAA released the names of air carriers and pilot unions that didn't respond to the Call to Action. They include:

AERO MICRONESIA

AIR TRANSPORT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY CO

AMERISTAR AIR CARGO

AVIATION SERVICES

CAPITAL CARGO INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

CARIBBEAN SUN AIRLINES

CENTURION AIR CARGO

CORPORATE AIR

FLORIDA WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS

FRONTIER FLYING SERVICE

*GEMINI AIR CARGO

GULF AND CARIBBEAN CARGO

KALITTA AIR

KALITTA CHARTERS II

LYNDEN AIR CARGO

*LYNX AIR INTERNATIONAL

MERIDIAN ASSOCIATES

NATIONAL AIR CARGO GROUP INC

NETJETS LARGE AIRCRAFT COMPANY LLC

**PACE AIRLINES INC

PENINSULA AIRWAYS INC

PRESCOTT SUPPORT CO

*PRIMARIS AIRLINES

RHOADES AVIATION

SEABORNE VIRGIN ISLAND

SKY KING

SKY LEASE I

**SWIFT AIR

TATONDUK OUTFITTERS

TEM ENTERPRISES

Note:

*Operators no longer holding a Part 121 operating certificates.

**Operators who did not respond to the FAA's Call to Action letter, but have a FAA-approved ASAP program in place.

The Allied Pilots Association and the Independent Pilots Association were silent on the mater.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt noted that some of the carriers that ignored the call to action are using FOQA and ASAP, and that some may be too small for FOQA programs "to be practical."

But he added "the fact that carriers haven't responded or are too small to have certain programs in place will be taken into consideration when performing FAA surveillance activities. Our goal is to ensure that all carriers are operating at the highest levels of safety.

"The operators and labor organizations who have not responded need to understand the American public will ultimately judge their reluctance to adopt proven safety practices, not just the Federal Aviation Administration,

"History shows that we are able to implement better safety improvements far more quickly and effectively when we work together. Nearly all large airlines and many small airlines -- covering 93 percent of current commercial fleet -- have committed to this approach. Those few that have not need to act -- now, " Babbitt stated.

Elsewhere, organizers of a Europe-wide protest action, the European Cockpit Association, warned Oct. 5 that planes will crash if flying hours for pilots are not cut.

Research commissioned by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommended more than a year ago that pilots or cabin crew "should never be routinely asked to work for longer than 13 hours without a break" and that night flying should not exceed 10 hours.

Current EU rules allow for a minimum of 14 hours a day -- and 11 hours 45 minutes overnight -- with national safety bodies allowed, as in Britain, to authorize longer shifts.

The Moebus Report -- mandated by the EU in September 2008 -- said the risk of accidents is five-and-a-half times greater when pilots work 13 hours or more.

The EASA says it is still considering the scientific evidence before drafting new rules while the EU commission says it is treating the scientific report as a high "priority".