New York politicians and local organizations have been critical of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, particularly when it comes to safety rollbacks.
Flight 3407’s tragic impact is still felt across Western New York, particularly since the 2009 crash was the deadliest of the last 20 years, until a mid-air collision near Washington D.C. killed more than 60 earlier this year.
The Families of Flight 3407 organization is expressing dissatisfaction with Trump’s FAA pick, Bryan Bedford, over the possibility that Bedford would reduce the required 1500 in-flight training hours for pilots.
Organization member Scott Maurer lost his daughter, Lorin, in the crash.
“Our families fought to establish the 1,500-hour rule because we saw firsthand the devastating consequences of inadequate training in the cockpit,” he said in a press release.
Senator Chuck Schumer also has major concerns when it comes to the Bedford pick.
“Reducing the number of hours pilot train in the air is dangerous and will cost lives," he said. "We need an FAA administrator who's unequivocally committed to keeping our sky safe, not one who puts profit over safety, not one who's willing to roll back the hours that our pilots need to train.”
Congressman Nick Langworthy voiced support for keeping the current standard, saying in a press release that the increased training standards since Flight 3407 have made flying significantly safer.
Bedford previously served as CEO of Republic Airways and lobbied for pilots to only need 750 hours of flight training, if they received certification through Republic’s in-house training program.
