Betty

I am working on paperwork for a Southwest interview and I noticed they will be conducting all three if these checks. I have never had a FOIA check for an airline. What is the difference between PRD, PRIA and FOIA? What shows up on FOIA that is different than PRIA or PRD?
Thanks
Betty

Socalpt6

I literally just went through this and there was nothing about any FOIA. You might be confusing it for the Pilots Bill Of Rights act which is essentially saying anyone can get your info from a FOIA request.

SWA is not doing a FOIA request on you. First of all it would take 6-12 months to get back.

Betty

Ok the reason I ask is because the Pilot Records Notice and Release states " Southwest Airlines intends to submit a request to the FAA under the PRD, PRIA and FOIA Acts".

BStill

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is simply the law that requires a government agency to disclose information that is not of a type legally exempted from the Act. The FAA is just making sure you know/acknowledge that the information that FAA has about you in their database (PRD/PRIA) is being disclosed to a third-party requesting it, per your consent and in compliance with the law as prescribed by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

So technically, SWA is indeed doing a FOIA request on you. But one that you are consenting to, and is narrowly targeted to the PRD information under PRIA. Not like a general FOIA request like a journalist or lawyer might submit to a government agency requesting "any/all information you have on record pertaining to topic XYZ." But when the FAA provides SWA access to your PRD information, per YOUR consent, it doing so under the legal protection of, and in compliance with, the FOIA. So in theory, if SWA finds derogatory information in your PRD file, whether accurate or not, on the basis of which they decline to hire you, you can't file suit against the FAA for providing them that information, even if it's wrong.

TimeToGo

Some pilots might remember when checkride disapprovals were issued as a Pink Slip. That would be one example of something that would show up in FOIA but not the PRD. It depends on the year issued.
So naturally airlines request the FOIA also. You can request it for yourself as well.

awaywego

how far do they go back? The 10 years as per prd?

Socalpt6

The entirety

awaywego

complete pilot record? I thought it was the 10 yr prd or even the 5 year?

waterskisabersw

It's been a while since I read 111 or PRIA, but whether it's 5 or 10 years, a hiring company is only required to request the records for that time period. They can request further back if they chose, and can give as much or as little credence or thought to the records they receive as they desire.

In other words, they can request 30 years of records and proceed to throw the unopened envelopes directly into the shredder.

awaywego

okay, don’t have anything to hide but it’s nice to know