A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1539587
24 NATCA congratulates the 2025 recipients of the Region X Commitment to Safety Award, the Eastern Center Drug Abatement Team comprised of Team Lead Inspector Christopher Caravaglio and team members Jose Ricardo Ortiz, Shay Jones, Freidy Lazala, Shanise Ross, Janette Ramos Chandler, Alexis Guthrie, and Guillermo Mela. The Region X Commitment to Safety Award is given annually to Region X members who have shown a profound dedication to ensuring the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS). The award is peer- nominated, and any Region X member in good standing can be nominated for work done in their role as an aviation safety professional. The Drug Abatement team is tasked with safeguarding the NAS through ensuring that industry partners who implement drug and alcohol programs are in compliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA regulations. The Drug Abatement team works in partnership with the aviation industry to ensure the safety of the flying public through compliance and education. Earlier this year, the Eastern Center Drug Abatement Team was instrumental in identifying and correcting serious compliance gaps within the drug and alcohol testing program of one of the largest air carriers in the world, which operates 4,000-5,400 flights daily, carrying over 515,000-530,000 passengers across six continents. The scale of these operations makes it essential that every individual performing safety-sensitive duties — whether piloting aircraft, performing maintenance, or handling dispatch — meets the highest standards of fitness for duty. During a thorough inspection, the team uncovered significant vulnerabilities in the carrier's compliance infrastructure including delayed reporting of violations, deficiencies in post-accident testing protocols, failure to follow R EGION X R EGION X Christopher Caravaglio Engineer/Southern Region, ESO Alexis Guthrie Engineer/Southern Region, ESO Janette Ramos Chandler Engineer/Southern Region, ESO Shay Jones Engineer/Southern Region, ESO Wri en by Lisen Mine (Engineer Aeronau cal Center, EAC)