June 15, 2010 − Comair and the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) have signed a letter of agreement to begin a Flight Operation Quality Assurance (FOQA) program to further improve the suite of safety-related programs at Comair.

Flight operational quality assurance (FOQA, pronounced PHO-kua), also known as flight data monitoring (FDM) or flight data analysis, is a method of capturing and analyzing the data generated by an aircraft moving through the air from one point to another.

Applying the information learned from this analysis helps to find new ways to improve flight safety and increase overall operational efficiency. Several airlines and air forces have initiated FOQA programs to collect, store and analyze recorded flight data. The goal is to improve the organization or unit's overall safety, increase maintenance effectiveness and reduce operational costs. (see crash of Comair Flight 191).

As a result of an ICAO Annex 6 mandate, all airlines are required under regional legislation to implement Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) programs. However, in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not yet require FOQA programs for commercial operators.

The implementation of the program benefits Comair, ALPA, our passengers and our pilots, as FOQA is a proven safety program that will only enhance the safety of our airline. It is our commitment to ensure safety enhancements such as FOQA mirror the safety initiatives at Delta, our parent airline, ensuring one level of safety.