WASHINGTON, D.C., 2018-Aug-07 — /Travel PR News/ — The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) is honored to present Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) with the 2017 Airport of the Year Award for its continued collaboration in partnering with pilots on important safety and construction issues.
“The Austin International Airport team understands the advantage of including pilots in projects that affect the environment we operate in each day,” said Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA’s president. “We are proud to be a partner in safety with this extraordinary team and look forward to our continued collaboration on vital airport improvements.”
AUS management has a long history of incorporating the expertise and feedback of ALPA pilots into projects ranging from continued airport expansion of ramps and taxiways to the increased implementation of many of the latest NextGen air traffic control technologies. The AUS team has also been forthcoming in sharing information with pilots about the progress of various construction projects.
Airport officials have repeatedly included ALPA’s airport safety liaisons as premier subject-matter experts in planning meetings, training drills, and future expansion plans. One result of this valuable pilot input is zero commercial aircraft incidents for a number of years.
“ALPA thanks and congratulates Austin-Bergstrom International officials for their continued commitment to enhancing aviation safety. We are grateful for the opportunity to offer our unique pilot perspective on vital issues that help to keep runway incursions from occurring. We are proud partners in ensuring AUS’s outstanding safety reputation,” added Canoll.
Serving the central Texas region, AUS has experienced continuous annual growth since 2010 and served a record 13.89 million passengers in 2017. With over 400 scheduled commercial airline operations per day, Austin is connected nonstop to 80 destinations in the U.S. and Europe, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean. Austin’s airport has consistently been ranked among the best airports by Airports Council International and Travel & Leisure.
“It’s truly an honor to receive this award from our users – the airline pilots –who recognize the hard work of the employees of the airport, airlines, tenants, FAA and TSA who labor 24/7 to maintain a safe environment at one of the fastest growing airports in the country. We value the cornerstone partnership we enjoy with the pilots of ALPA and we look forward to the continued strong collaboration in building an even better airport for the future of Central Texas,” said Scott Madole, Airport Operations Manager of Operations for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when receiving the award at the safety forum.
ALPA’s Airport and Ground Environment Group selects the airport of the year from nominations made by ALPA’s regional airport safety chairmen and airport safety liaisons who represent pilots’ interests at more than 150 airports in the United States and Canada. Nominations range from small regional airports to some of the busiest airports in the world, but all nominees share a common commitment to the highest safety standards.
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 60,000 pilots at 34 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.
CONTACT:
ALPA Media
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Media@alpa.org
Source: Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA)