Duckworth slams Sinema over pilot plan: ‘Blood on your hands’

Sen. Tammy Duckworth Slams Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s Proposal on Airline Pilot Training

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) strongly criticized Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-AZ) proposal to modify the training requirements for airline pilots, warning that there would be “blood on your hands” if the amendment is adopted by senators.

Currently, some small regional airlines are advocating for changes to the rule that mandates commercial airline pilots to undergo 1,500 hours of training before flying for public airlines. Sinema’s proposed amendment aims to alter the training programs for new pilots, allowing certain types of airline training to carry more weight towards fulfilling the 1,500-hour requirement.

Concerns about Public Safety

Despite the pilot shortage in the airline industry, Democrats have largely opposed relaxing the training rules, citing concerns about public safety.

“Now is not the time to prioritize corporate profits over the lives of our constituents who may board a commercial flight in the future,” Duckworth passionately expressed on the Senate floor.

She further emphasized, “A vote to change the training rules for pilots will result in blood on your hands when an inevitable accident occurs due to inadequately trained flight crews.”

Duckworth highlighted the fact that no airline aviation fatalities have occurred due to pilot error since the implementation of the 1,500-hour training requirement. She cautioned that relaxing these requirements would “pose a significant risk with no reward.”

“It represents an unacceptable backsliding, a dangerous complacency in an industry where complacency kills,” Duckworth asserted. “As the chair of the aviation safety subcommittee, a professional aviator, and a private pilot, I am unwavering in prioritizing safety.”

While acknowledging the challenges faced by the airline industry due to the pilot shortage, Duckworth acknowledged the temptation to cut corners. However, when pressed for specific estimates on the number of additional pilots that would be available if the minimum hours were reduced, Duckworth stated that she received “no precise estimates, let alone any credible projections,” according to Politico.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee have indefinitely postponed the markup of its Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill amidst this dispute.

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FAA Reauthorization Bill and Recent Developments

This amendment comes just two days after Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and ranking member Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced their $107 billion version of the FAA reauthorization bill. Cantwell and Cruz claim that their 461-page bill will enhance runway safety, track high-altitude balloons, prevent airlines from charging families to sit together, and prepare the nation’s airspace for the future of air travel.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released its own version of the FAA reauthorization bill on Friday.