Executive Summary: The Federal
Aviation Administration ("FAA") has published a final
rule to transition from the Pilot Records Improvement Act
("PRIA") to the electronic Pilot Records Database. The
rule is effective August 9, 2021.
Background on PRIA and the PRD Act: In 1997,
the PRIA was enacted in response to a series of aircraft accidents
attributed to pilot error. PRIA requires a hiring air carrier to
obtain certain records from the FAA, current and previous air
carrier employers, and the National Driver Register
("NDR"). In 2010, Congress enacted the Airline Safety and
Federal Aviation Administration Act, which included the Pilot
Record Database Act (the "PRD Act"). See 49
U.S.C. §44703(i). In the PRD Act, Congress directed the FAA to
create an electronic Pilot Records Database (the "PRD").
In 2015, the FAA began placing its records in the PRD.
