O’Hare Receives “Airport of the Year” Award from ALPA

The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) has named Chicago O’Hare International Airport its “2009 Airport of the Year” for the facility’s dedication to engaging with the airline pilots who operate at the airport to ensure the highest safety standards for passengers, crews, and cargo.

The award was presented to Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino today in Washington, D.C. during an awards luncheon at the ALPA 56th Annual Air Safety Forum.

During her acceptance speech, Andolino discussed the CDA’s commitment to safety and efficiency at Chicago’s airports. “We are proud to be recognized for our efforts to maintain safe and efficient operations at one of the world’s busiest airports, all while managing the O’Hare Modernization Program, one of the largest civil infrastructure projects in the country,” she said.

“Every day, ALPA pilots operate hundreds of flights at Chicago O’Hare, and the airport is consistently receptive to our concerns and works together with us to ensure the safest possible operations,” said United Airlines Captain Rory Kay, ALPA’s Executive Air Safety Chairman. “The airport has set the standard by maintaining an open dialogue with airline pilots so that, together, we can detect and resolve emerging safety concerns before problems ever occur.”

The CDA has invited ALPA members to participate in O’Hare’s monthly aviation safety meetings, as well as in regular and ad hoc briefings on issues including runway lighting, winter operations, disaster preparedness, and the airport’s multi-year reconstruction effort.

ALPA’s Airport and Ground Environment Group selects the Airport of the Year from nominations made by ALPA’s regional safety chairmen and airport safety liaisons who represent pilots’ interests at more than 200 commercial 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.

“With the airport environment constantly changing during O’Hare’s ongoing the modernization, the demonstrated commitment by the Chicago Department of Aviation and the Chicago Fire Department to work together with ALPA could not be more important,” said ALPA President John Prater, a captain for Continental Airlines. “We look forward to our continued partnership and hope that it will serve as a model for airports across the country.”

ALPA’s 2008 Airport of the Year was Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, CA.

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing nearly 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.

The 2010 ALPA Air Safety Forum kicked off yesterday in Washington, D.C. with an impressive attendance of more than 400 pilot professionals. This special event aligns airline pilots with a host of subject-matter experts and industry partners, and recognizes those ALPA members who demonstrate excellence in the piloting profession.

For more information about ALPA and to view coverage and pictures of the 2010 Air Safety Forum, please visit www.alpa.org.

For more information on the CDA, please visit www.flychicago.com.