FAA panel opposes law on pilot experience

WASHINGTON - A key safety measure passed by Congress recently in response to a deadly regional airline crash last year is facing opposition from industry officials concerned that it could lead to higher salaries for airline pilots.

A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel dominated by airlines, companies that employ pilots to fly corporate planes and university flight schools wants to reduce by two-thirds a requirement that airline co-pilots have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flying experience, the same experience threshold that captains must meet.

The key issue is money, according to officials familiar with the panel's deliberations. Airlines worry that if the FAA raises the threshold for co-pilots, also called first officers, from the current minimum of 250 hours, airlines will be forced to raise salaries and benefits to attract more experienced fliers. Most airline pilots have far more experience than 1,500 hours.

But industry analysts have forecast a pilot shortage if the economy starts to expand, creating a premium for experience. The salaries of corporate and other private pilots are affected by airline salaries.

University flight schools are similarly concerned that if beginner pilots have to accrue 1,500 hours of flight experience before they can be hired by an airline, they'll skip expensive university training in favor of amassing flight time.

The roles of captains and first officers have changed over the years. Today, both pilots are expected to be able to fly a plane equally well and to share duties.

The FAA formed the committee this summer just before Congress passed a far-reaching aviation safety bill, including the boost in required flight hours.

The law was prompted by a crash near Buffalo in February 2009 that killed 50 people. The first officer had flown from Seattle to Newark in time for the flight. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded the first officer and the captain were probably suffering fatigue at the time of the accident.