The FAA, in partnership with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca), on Thursday inaugurated a voluntary 18-month pilot program called the Safety Review Process (SRP) to allow employees to identify safety concerns without fear of retaliation. It is open to all 700 members of the Natca-represented bargaining unit employed in the agency’s Aircraft Certification Service (Air).
The SRP is modeled after a similar process the agency implemented last year for the office of airports. While the FAA said it expects most safety concerns will continue to be resolved at the local level, the SRP will offer an additional method of identifying safety hazards. The agency plans to evaluate the SRP after the 18-month trial before deciding whether or not to make the program permanent.