ALPA Requests 60-Day Extension of FAA Part 141 Modernisation Comment Period

USA – The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) — the world's largest pilot union — has formally requested a 60-day extension of the public comment period for the FAA's Part 141 Pilot School Modernisation Initiative, citing the scope and complexity of the proposed changes, the brevity of the current comment window, and the lack of access to complete draft materials prior to publication.

• ALPA's letter, submitted on 2 April 2026 to the FAA Docket Operations under Docket No. FAA-2024-2531, characterises the NFTA's 471-page modernisation report as representing "a comprehensive restructuring of pilot training, certification, and oversight" with "significant changes with long-term safety implications" — language that signals ALPA views the proposals as materially affecting pilot safety and does not consider six business days an adequate review window for a document of this consequence.
• The current public comment period of approximately six business days is identified by ALPA as insufficient to allow for meaningful review and coordinated industry input. The letter further notes that the lack of availability of complete draft materials prior to publication constrained earlier opportunities for independent evaluation — suggesting ALPA was not given advance access to the report despite the safety implications for its 77,000 represented pilots.
• ALPA's request for a 60-day extension frames the issue explicitly around safety: "A deliberate and thorough review process is essential to ensure that any resulting changes maintain the safety and effectiveness of pilot training within the National Airspace System." The letter was signed by Captain Todd Lisak of ALPA's Human Factors and Training Group.

Statements

• "The published recommendations represent a comprehensive restructuring of pilot training, certification, and oversight. The scope and complexity of the material, spanning several hundred pages, introduce significant changes with long-term safety implications. A deliberate and thorough review process is essential to ensure that any resulting changes maintain the safety and effectiveness of pilot training within the National Airspace System," said Captain Todd Lisak, Human Factors and Training Group, Air Line Pilots Association, International.

Source: Air Line Pilots Association, International