SEATTLE, May 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines and
Horizon Air have each earned their 16th Diamond Award from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for excellence in maintenance
training. The FAA reserves this award for select carriers who
complete the Aircraft Maintenance Training (AMT) program with 100
percent participation from eligible technicians.
Alaska Airlines is the only major carrier to earn this award for
16 consecutive years. Horizon has earned the award for 16 of the
past 18 years. In addition to the company award, five aircraft
technicians earned individual FAA Gold Awards for going above and
beyond the AMT program requirements: Nicholas Kula, Matt
Grabowsky, Kevin Barrett,
Vincent Estacio and Chris Pratt.
"Earning the Diamond Award is no small feat. The technical
training group and aircraft technicians take on the FAA's AMT
program requirements on top of our own rigorous maintenance
training program," says Kurt Kinder,
Alaska Airlines vice president of maintenance and engineering.
"Safety starts with training, and 16 Diamonds speaks to the value
we place on both."
Today, Alaska is also
recognizing the hard work of aircraft technicians with barbecues
and treats in celebration of Charles E.
Taylor Day (also known as Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Day). Originally dedicated to paying homage to the first aircraft
technician, Charles E. Taylor Day is
celebrated across the industry on May
24, as a way to recognize the maintenance professionals
throughout the industry.
"Charles E. Taylor Day is a
welcomed reminder for us to stop and thank the men and women who
keep our aircraft performing safely and reliably," says
Paul Taylor, Alaska's managing director of line
maintenance. "While most of us are at home asleep, aircraft
technicians are hard at work to ensure a safe and on-time launch of
the airline every day. Although the work doesn't stop today, we'll
be celebrating with as many technicians as we can across our
maintenance stations."
Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional
partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 119 destinations
with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa
Rica and Cuba. With
Alaska and Alaska Global Partners,
guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900
destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer
Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the
J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive
years from 2008 to 2017. Alaska Mileage Plan ranked "Highest in
Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the
J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report
for the last three consecutive years. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched
reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com.
Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of
Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines