Page 6 - InterPilot Issue 1 2016

6 NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS

NEWS

The Many Challenges and Successes

of Caribbean/South America Region

concerning the English Language Proficiency currently in contact with them to encourage
Capt. Diana Martinez (RVP SAM/North)
test which had been changed from doing it new studies on labour and social impact of the
The SAM/North region person-to-person to a machine-based test, Open Skies agreement.
includes the countries of causing many pilots to fail the test. The Since the closure of Uruguay’s national
Colombia, Ecuador, IFALPA Senior Technical Officer has under- carrier – PLUNA – in July 2012, the Uruguay’s
French Guyana, Guyana, taken to bring this issue to the attention of Civil Airline Pilots Association (ACIPLA)
Panama, Peru, Suriname ICAO to review and comment. members have been actively involved in
and Venezuela. creating a brand new carrier – Alas Uruguay.
In general terms, the The Certification process was successfully
year of 2015 has been a Capt. Guillermo Masnata (RVP SAM/South) completed during the year, and the local Civil
positive year. The The SAM/South region Aviation Authority, DINACIA, issued the
th
Member Associations of covers Argentina, Brazil, certification on Friday, October 30 2015. Alas
the region have been Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay is expected to start its scheduled
working together to improve labour conditions Uruguay. flights next summer. It is the first time in the
in Latin America despite the anti-union Associação Brasileira history of Latin America that a group of airline
policies of the commercial airlines which de Pilotos da Aviação workers have successfully obtained an Air
ignore the constitutional right of free associa- Civil (ABRAPAC) in Operator’s Certificate (AOC), a big milestone
tion. The airlines have been promoting policies Brazil has grown that deserves to be celebrated!
that go against the collective labour agree- tremendously over the
ments and the benefits gained by the MAs, as year. This year, the Capt. Alfonso Sierra (RVP CAR/West)
well as offering bonuses to discourage pilots to Brazilian Senate created
join an Association. These policies, which a special committee to work on the reform of The CAR/West region
clearly improve business productivity, do not the Brazilian Aeronautic Code (CBA), which is covers Cuba, Costa Rica,
take into account human factors, such as the the most important compilation of civil Guatemala, El Salvador,
cost and quality of life of the pilots, when pilot aviation law. This much needed reform Nicaragua, Martinique,
fatigue is not considered as important as other pursues a complete update and a follow-up on Puerto Rico, Honduras
issues, and the safety of air operations. the constant changes taking place in the and México.
The MAs of the region have attended country. The same modernization process is Asociación Sindical
several meetings throughout the year, taking place regarding the Federal Law that de Pilotos Aviadores de
including Flight Time Limitation and Fatigue deals with the regulation of the professional México (ASPA Mexico)
Risk Management Systems in Lima. The pilot throughout Brazil. A pilot community has recently welcomed its
Associations had the opportunity to present been organized to work together on several new Secretary General,
their concerns to different industry players projects that have to do with the reform of Captain Mario Alberto Gonzalez Aguilera.
about the new policies that the regional CBA. Furthermore, the MA has carried out Capt. Aguilera started his pilot career in
commercial airlines want to implement. Other successful studies to support the plan on military aviation where he graduated with
issues were also addressed during the meeting integrating a Fatigue Risk Management System honors and was worthy of international
such as Open Skies, Freedom of Registration, (FRMS) throughout the country. recognitions. In 1992, he joined Aerolitoral
Globalization of Multinational Partnership and The MA in Chile, Asociacion de Pilotos de Services (Aeromexico Connect) and from 1997
Mitigation License. Chile (ASPCH), had the opportunity to until this present date, he is captain of B-737 in
Last but not least, the Pilot Group in Peru is present their concerns of Open Skies agree- Aeromexico. During the IFALPA CAR/SAM
currently facing an issue with the DGAC ments to their government. The Association is Regional meeting held in Buenos Aires,
Issue 1 | 2016 InterPilot | The safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA