EPAS Member Update
Fellow Members,
Experienced Pilots Advancing Safety (EPAS) continues advancing through the next phases of our work—at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), within industry, and across all levels of our government. We understand the timeline and keep time expediency at the forefront of every effort.
We have prepared three focused narratives outlining how EPAS views today’s aviation environment and the issues that must be addressed to strengthen safety and system integrity. These articles will be released in sequence following this update to help educate policymakers, industry leaders, and the public on the critical challenges shaping our aviation ecosystem.
As always, we count on you—the line pilot—as the subject matter experts (SMEs) in the field. Your perspective from the Cockpit is vital to ensure our message reflects real-world experience and practical understanding.Your input is welcome and encouraged as we move forward.
Get in the Fight!
EPAS Leadership Team
Defining the Stakes
Aviation governance connects policy, economics, and frontline performance. Each regulatory decision, funding cycle, and bilateral agreement ultimately affects safety outcomes across the National Airspace System (NAS). When governance becomes fragmented or politicized, safety margins erode. The Experienced Pilots Advancing Safety (EPAS) framework views governance as the invisible architecture of trust that keeps air transport safe and globally credible (EPAS Board of Directors Policy Manual, 2025).
International Standard-Setting and U.S. Representation The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) that shape nearly every global safety protocol. Only 36 member states sit on the ICAO Council, determining which standards advance and how they are applied. When the United States lacks consistent participation or an appointed ambassador, regulatory leadership shifts elsewhere—often to nations with lower operational thresholds. Sustained American representation ensures data-driven, performance-based rulemaking rather than politically influenced compromises (ICAO Ambassadorship White Paper, 2025).
Fair Competition and Flags of Convenience
A “flag of convenience” occurs when an airline registers operations in a jurisdiction with minimal safety oversight or weak labor law to gain competitive advantage. These arrangements distort markets and exert downward pressure on both pilot compensation and safety investment. Strong U.S. engagement within ICAO and bilateral frameworks ensures reciprocal licensing, transparent auditing, and fair enforcement across international carriers (ICAO Ambassadorship White Paper, 2025; EPAS Strategic Talking Points, 2024).
Joint Ventures and Operational Accountability
Global joint ventures and codeshare partnerships blur operational boundaries and safety responsibility. When one partner operates under weaker maintenance or training oversight, hidden vulnerabilities can extend across both carriers. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and ICAO should require transparent operational audits, explicit maintenance authority agreements, and full disclosure of crew training parity before approvals (EPAS Strategic Talking Points, 2024).
Financial Stability and Bankruptcy Reform
Aviation safety and financial integrity are inseparable. Chronic reliance on Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure airline debt destabilizes training, maintenance, and retirement security. During restructuring, cuts to simulator budgets and technician staffing have downstream effects on reliability and morale. Policy reform should guarantee that baseline safety expenditures and workforce protections remain intact throughout any reorganization process (EPAS Board of Directors Policy Manual, 2025).
Workforce Ethics and the Dignity of Work
Safety culture is anchored in professional ethics and mutual respect. When experienced personnel are undervalued or treated as cost burdens, commitment to procedural precision diminishes. Protecting seniority systems, equitable scheduling, and transparent promotion processes reinforces the “just culture” required for effective Safety Management Systems (SMS). The EPAS framework links worker dignity directly to safety outcomes: respect sustains discipline, and discipline sustains safety (EPAS Board of Directors Policy Manual, 2025; Truth and Safety Communication, 2024).
Procurement and Technology Governance
Introducing advanced automation or new avionics without full operational validation transfers risk from manufacturers to pilots. All technology procurement should require complete Safety Management System (SMS) risk assessments before certification. Procurement oversight must include cybersecurity testing, crew training integration, and cost–safety tradeoff analysis from project inception (Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Safety Management System Implementation Review, 2023).
Data Governance and Transparency
Aviation safety data—whether from Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), or medical certification databases—must be managed with both confidentiality and analytical integrity. Aggregated, anonymized data enables trend recognition without exposing individual participants. Mental health and fatigue studies require similar protection to sustain reporting confidence while advancing science (FAA Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) Report, 2024; EPAS Master Talking Points, 2024).
National-to-Local Alignment
Federal directives often lose impact at the operational level. Aligning FAA safety policy with airport authorities, operator Safety Management Systems, and maintenance organizations ensures that standards are implemented consistently. A national dashboard tracking unstable approaches, runway incursions, and maintenance deviations would create a closed feedback loop between policy and practice (EPAS Strategic Talking Points, 2024).
Outcome Auditing and Public Accountability
Independent auditing validates the difference between compliance on paper and performance in practice. Publicly accessible safety dashboards—modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) annual reporting system—would enhance transparency and promote shared accountability. Oversight budgets should scale with system complexity to ensure independence and continuity of review (EPAS Board of Directors Policy Manual, 2025; NTSB Annual Review, 2024).
Conclusion
Governance, economics, and workforce ethics form the hidden framework supporting every safe flight. When policy integrity, financial prudence, and professional dignity align, safety follows naturally. Strengthening these pillars through transparency, accountability, and sustained international leadership will preserve the aviation system as the safest mode of global transportation. This is the fastest and most direct action to address the immediate dangers to our aviation ecosystem.