'We Are Delivering The Objectives As Promised,' FAA Chief Says

FAA administrator Michael Huerta told the House Aviation Subcommittee that the agency is "delivering the objectives of NextGen as promised" during a hearing held Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

In his prepared remarks for the committee, Huerta (pictured in file photo) said the agency has "consistently met more than 80 percent of our implementation milestones over the last five years, which is extraordinary when dealing with a complex technological program. Overall, NextGen is on track. And yes, there have been delays, but we have learned from these and incorporated those lessons in the way we move forward."

Huerta cited examples of Memphis, where he said airport capacity has increased by more than 20 percent since last fall. "By working with our partners, we were able to revise wake turbulence separation standards. This allows aircraft to safely depart –one behind another – slightly closer together than before," he said. In Atlanta, he said jets can take off on headings lightly closer together. "This small change has resulted in a 10 percent increase in departures per hour from the world’s busiest airport. We estimate customers have saved more than 11,000 hours of waiting in line to take-off last year thanks to NextGen."

Huerta said that the improvements that have already been implemented will save airlines $20 million this year in Atlanta alone. And airlines operating in the Washington, D.C. area will save an estimated $2.3 million and cut emissions by 7,300 metric tons.

But Huerta cautioned the panel that sequestration could significantly slow the implementation of NextGen. "Last year Congress reauthorized the FAA for four years and laid out a vision with bipartisan consensus to address the future needs of our aviation system. These needs have not gone away. Yet under the sequester and the current climate of fiscal uncertainty, the FAA needs to make sizeable budget cuts that affect our operations, NextGen, and our future. This uncertainty undermines the roadmap that the FAA and Congress laid out for NextGen. It was only last year that we all agreed that these goals were extremely important to protect the great contribution that civil aviation makes to our economy."

Reuters reports that subcommittee chair Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) said that there are "serious concerns regarding the FAA's ability to effectively and efficiently implement NextGen," noting that organizational issues within the FAA are delaying its implementation.

And DOT IG Calvin Scovel (pictured) said that the automatic budget cuts have already brought some projects to a standstill. The House Appropriations Committee passed an FAA budget that is 22 percent lower than the agency's request. Scovel said that those cuts would require the agency to "greatly restrain" the program's implementation. He also said that airlines and other operators have been slow to adopt the technology needed to make the program work, and that it is unlikely that the agency will meet the program's $40 billion planned cost or the 2025 timeframe. "I would urge the committee to hold the FAA's feet to the fire," Scovel said, adding that his office could be used to bring pressure to bear on the FAA.

FMI: www.faa.gov, http://transportation.house.gov