Reliable Airlines, a cargo airline based in Albuquerque, has announced the addition of Tom Klassen as President and Director of Operations to support the growth of operations and future integration of safety-enhancing systems developed by its parent company, Reliable Robotics.
The airline team has established a safety management system and operational procedures and has a proven record of safety, 100% flight completion and 99.9% dispatch reliability, earning the airline more routes in New Mexico.
Formerly known as AirDialog, Reliable Airlines aligns the cargo operation brand more closely with Reliable Robotics. The team at Reliable Airlines will have the unparalleled opportunity to lead the industry with the integration of automation that will improve aviation safety.
Reliable Robotics
Reliable Robotics is designing an automation system that will enable auto-taxi, auto-takeoff, and auto-landing and has sophisticated fault detection to identify and respond to unanticipated anomalies faster.
“This is the next evolution of aviation,“ said Tom Klassen, President and Director of Operations for Reliable Airlines. “Reliable will incrementally introduce new technology into our airline operation, bringing unprecedented levels of safety to cargo aircraft. It’s exciting and meaningful to me personally to be a part of this transformation.”
In his new role, Klassen will run Reliable Airlines. He is an experienced aviation leader with 40 years of combined management, regulatory and flying experience. His diverse aviation career spans several continents and includes Part 135, Part 121 and Part 91 operations in helicopters, turbo-prop and turbine aircraft. Most recently, Klassen served as CEO and Director of Operations for HALO-Flight, a helicopter air ambulance service. He has held Director of Operations and Chief Pilot roles, managing domestic and international operations. In his effort to increase safety in aviation, he has been an active member of two Federal Aviation Administration aviation rulemaking committees.
Airline goals
“It’s been great to see the airline expand routes, hire more pilots and assemble an experienced team. Tom’s proven leadership, and strong focus on safety aligns directly to company goals,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics. “Our cargo airline informs the development of the safety-enhancing automation systems we’re building as we progress towards certification for commercial use; the Reliable Airlines brand publicly ties those efforts together.”
Klassen will join Jeff Drees, Director of Cargo Strategy, former 35-year Ameriflight executive. Reliable Airlines operates cargo feeder routes and is actively recruiting line pilots with experience flying the Cessna Caravan to join its world-class team.
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