Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, today hailed the finalization of new pilot training rules by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Larsen, the ranking member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, called for the finalized rules in a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in July.

“When passengers board planes in the United States, they should have full confidence that the pilots in the cockpit have been trained to the highest standards,” Larsen said. “The crash of Colgan Air flight 3407 exposed gaps in pilot training requirements that these rules will close. I appreciate the FAA’s continued focus on keeping the flying public safe.

“The families of the victims of Colgan 3407 have been determined advocates for getting these rules done. I applaud their tireless work to make sure that other families don’t face the same tragedy that they did in 2009.”

The new rules are one of the final new safety requirements that Congress ordered in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, which followed the fatal crash of Colgan Air flight 3407 in 2009. The FAA still needs to complete development of a pilot records database that will enhance the screening of newly hired pilots. Larsen and Rep. Frank LoBiondo called attention to the lack of progress on the database in a letter to the Department of Transportation’s inspector general in September.