Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I am proud to join my colleague Senator Snowe in once am introducing legislation to improve aviation safety. The Safe Skies Act we are introducing today will close a loophole in the Department of Transportation's recent rule on pilot fatigue, and ensure that pilots of cargo planes are just as well rested and prepared for their important work as the pilots of passenger planes who they share airports and airways with. Following the tragic crash of Flight 3407 in 2009, Senator Snowe and I introduced legislation to address several important aviation safety issues, including the need to update pilot fatigue regulations to reflect new, scientific research. Under the new rule issued by the Department of Transportation, pilots of passenger planes will be limited to flying eight or nine hours, depending on the start time. Minimum rest periods will be 10 hours, with the opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately, cargo pilots were left out of the rule--which undermines the one level of safety we are trying to achieve in our airline industry. Current rules regarding cargo flight operations permit cargo pilots to be on duty as many as 16 hours during a 24-hour period, regardless of when they begin their shift. Compared to passenger pilots, cargo pilots are permitted to fly 60 percent more hours--as much as 48 hours in a 6-day period.…”