RIO RICO, AZ — In March, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an aviation safety call to action.
It was a response to six serious runway incursions at U.S. airports since January. Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema says those incidents are behind an amendment she and South Dakota Senator John Thune attached to the FAA reauthorization bill.
To pilot a commercial jet, one needs 1,500 hours of flight time before an airline will consider hiring them.
The amendment allows the FAA to explore if there are other ways to train pilots that increase safety. The amendment says the FAA may allow pilots to train on simulators for up to 250 of the 1,500-hour rule as long as the FAA can prove it enhances safety.
Critics of the amendment include retired pilot "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot of the Miracle on the Hudson Flight in 2009. Sullenberger safely landed his A-320 on the Hudson River in New York after both engines failed following bird strikes.
Sullenberger says the amendment is a threat to airline safety.
On the floor of the Senate, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said, "It represents an unacceptable backsliding. A dangerous complacency in an industry where complacency kills."
Senator Duckworth, a helicopter pilot during the Iraq War, and Sullenberger are among the critics who have questioned if Sinema's ties to the airline industry have anything to do with her amendment.
Federal Election Commission reports show Sinema received more than $100,000 in donations from airline executives and the political action committees of five airlines.
A spokeswoman for the Senator says the airline industry opposes the amendment, adding the amendment follows the recommendations of aviation experts who want to enhance pilot training by allowing the FAA to investigate ways to make pilot training more diverse and robust.
The Senate Commerce Committee may vote this week on the amendment.
