On February 12, 2009 Continental Connection flight 3407 crashed during landing approximately 5 miles from Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. This accident killed all 49 passengers and crew on board the aircraft as well as an individual on the ground. The subsequent investigation determined that, among other things, pilot experience and training were contributing factors to the accident (United States. National Transportation Safety Board, 2010). In the wake of the accident loved ones of the deceased, in an unprecedented effort after a plane crash, successfully lobbied Congress to create new regulation requiring the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to craft new laws that required better training record keeping, improved rest rules, and set minimum piloting experience required to be an airline pilot. This new legislation required a complete, industry-wide restructuring in regards recruiting, training, and human resource departments in particular.
Prior to this new legislation whenever an airline was having trouble recruiting pilots they would simply lower their hiring minimums, usually measured in flight hours, in order …show more content…
This "stepping-stone" model works out well for Regional airlines because it allows them to keep costs down by having senior, more expensive pilots move on to other flying jobs. This has now turned into a double-edged sword because for every pilot that leaves a Regional airline needs to recruit a new pilot to take their place. Factor in that the recruiting department is now being forced to pay out larger and larger signing bonuses this stepping stone model is getting to the point where it is beginning to no longer make financial sense when balanced against the risk of having aircraft flown by less qualified pilots than the ones that are leaving for better jobs (Gibbs,
Prior to this new legislation whenever an airline was having trouble recruiting pilots they would simply lower their hiring minimums, usually measured in flight hours, in order …show more content…
This "stepping-stone" model works out well for Regional airlines because it allows them to keep costs down by having senior, more expensive pilots move on to other flying jobs. This has now turned into a double-edged sword because for every pilot that leaves a Regional airline needs to recruit a new pilot to take their place. Factor in that the recruiting department is now being forced to pay out larger and larger signing bonuses this stepping stone model is getting to the point where it is beginning to no longer make financial sense when balanced against the risk of having aircraft flown by less qualified pilots than the ones that are leaving for better jobs (Gibbs,