WASHINGTON  - U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both of New York, urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move forward expeditiously with the implementation of two critical flight safety regulations that the Flight 3407 Families and Western New York delegation fought hard to pass as part of the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act. The Senators’ letter comes in conjunction with their hosting the families of Continental Flight 3407 in Washington D.C. to commemorate the anniversary of the tragic plane crash in Clarence Center, New York four years ago. Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter comes on the heels of a Department of Transportation (DOT) report from the Inspector General (IG) that details FAA failures toward implementation of pilot certification and crewmember training requirements. In particular, the Senators urged the FAA to put pressure on the airline industry, so that August and October 2013 deadlines are met and fully implemented.

“Following a recent report that the FAA is still lagging in implementing two critical flight safety rules, I am urging the federal government to step up and ensure that these lifesaving measures to increase pilot and crew training aren’t forced to the backseat,” said Senator Schumer. “I will never forget February 12, 2009 -  my heart breaks every time I think about the crash that took the lives of the passengers on Flight 3407 and on the ground that day. What made the crash even more tragic was that it was completely avoidable, and we are here to continue our efforts to help prevent more avoidable tragedies. For exactly four years, these courageous people families have banded together, and have been fighting to make sure that future travelers are spared the fate that befell their loved ones, and we will continue to push forward to ensure that the FAA and the airline industry are held accountable to the law.”

“Over the past four years, the families who lost loved ones on Flight 3407 have been a constant and powerful force in Congress, working to improve aviation safety standards so others are spared the same loss they have had to endure,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Their tireless efforts have led to some of the most significant safety improvements in years. But we all know how much work is left to do. It is time to implement all of the rules we wrote into the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act without further delay to reach one level of safety for all crews and passengers.”

In addition to urging the FAA to implement these rules by their August and October deadlines respectively, Schumer, Gillibrand and the rest of the Western New York delegation are fighting to ensure they are fully enforced from day one. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Representatives Higgins, Slaughter, Reed and Collins stressed that future passengers cannot afford to have these critical safety measures further delayed. The delegation acknowledged that some bad actors among the regional airlines and other special interests will continue to look for ways to get around the new tough safety standards and training requirements put in place as part of the Airline Safety Act in 2010, which is why they vowed to remain vigilant in their efforts to ensure the tragedy experienced in Clarence never happens again.