The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has renewed its call for mandatory ADS-B In equipment on commercial aircraft following the reelection of Capt. Jason Ambrosi as union president. In a Wednesday announcement, the organization identified expanded cockpit traffic alerting and maintaining two-pilot airline crews among its priorities for the coming years.
“We will finish the fight for ADS-B In and carry on our union’s most solemn tradition, turning loss into lasting change,” Ambrosi said.
The Delta Air Lines captain, first elected in 2022, will begin his second four-year term Jan. 1, 2027.
Push for Integrated ADS-B In
ALPA has advocated for mandatory ADS-B In systems integrated into flight deck displays, including aural and visual traffic alerts that supplement existing collision-avoidance systems. The union ramped up its campaign following the January 2025 midair collision between PSA Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people. ALPA argues that integrated ADS-B In could provide pilots earlier warning of conflicting traffic, particularly at low altitudes where TCAS resolution advisories are inhibited.
The organization supports the Senate’s ROTOR Act and has opposed provisions in the House’s ALERT Act that would permit portable ADS-B In equipment as an alternative to integrated systems. ALPA has also called for military aircraft to transmit ADS-B Out nationwide, subject to appropriate security exemptions.
Leadership Priorities
Beyond ADS-B In, ALPA plans to continue opposing single-pilot airline operations and advocating for consistent safety standards as new aircraft and operators enter the National Airspace System. The union also elected three other national officers during its board meeting in Washington.
ALPA represents more than 80,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the United States and Canada.
ALPA, unlike general aviation advocacy, opposes single pilot operations for the simple fact that incapacitation will be the greatest risk to safety.