The press release announcing the closure also cites a change of "language that may place the Medallion Foundation in the position of being used as an instrument to take action against air carriers who are voluntarily participating" in its programs.
The board of directors says it met on Aug. 9 to discuss a memorandum of understanding sent to the Medallion Foundation from the FAA.
"It is with deep regret and sadness that the Board of Directors find the funding insufficient to continue operations and will not agree to these terms in the new Memorandum of Understanding," states the press release.
The release writes that it is "unfortunate" that Alaska carriers won't be able to access the safety programs that the foundation provides, such as training classes, simulators, TapRoot accident investigation, tourism safety videos, and maintenance, among other services.
According to its website, the Medallion Foundation was formed "from an infamous legacy of too many aircraft accidents and fatalities in Alaska."
Original appropriations secured by Sen. Ted Stevens allowed it to buy seven flight simulators. The foundation's website cites a CDC study that claims that accidents in commercial air carriers in Alaska declined by 57 percent between 2000 and 2009.
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8 comments:
So sorry to see this.
Seems like President Trump missed a few bad regulations.
Or perhaps Alaska is too conservative. ☹️
The budget cuts, and the proposed changes to the charter, are all from the FAA. Alaska didn’t get a say.
Politics getting played, without regard for the public... so sad...
"Oh well, it's not like we need safety or anything, right?" Morons.
Did they not get funding for not acquiescing?
Or was funding still not available?
Ed, from reading the article, it appears that the funding cuts were accompanied by the revised wording. The Foundation was apparently expected to accept the cuts AND operate under adversarial rules.
Darnit. They've got some really good folks over there, who've put a lot of effort into saving lives by helping pilots and carriers be better.
I concur, Wing. We sorely need the program.
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