Tue, Apr 16, 2013
Urge Administration To Direct FAA To Look For Alternative Savings In Its Budget
Leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation have sent a bipartisan letter to the Administration expressing profound disappointment with the FAA's unprecedented decision to close 149 air traffic control contract towers to meet the sequester’s budget reduction requirements. The signatories express their concerns that the FAA has yet to address the impact the agency’s decision to close towers may have on aviation system safety or efficiency.
The letter was sent by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) (pictured, right); the Transportation Committee’s Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV); House Subcommittee on Aviation Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ); Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) (pictured, left); the Commerce Committee’s Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD); and Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Chairman Maria E. Cantwell (D-WA).
“Right now we have more questions than answers, and we remain concerned about the safety of the aviation system and the general public," Shuster, Rahall, and LoBiondo said in a jointly-released statement. "We still don’t know what impacts closing these air traffic control towers will have, and to ensure that safety remains the top priority, the agency needs to focus intently on finding savings in other areas of its budget.”
Senators Rockefeller and Thune will hold a hearing on aviation safety April 16 at 2:30 p.m., where Administrator Huerta is scheduled to testify. It will examine the consequences of sequestration on the FAA and the agency’s efforts to implement safety provisions in recent FAA reauthorizations.
More News
Aero Linx: International Business Aviation Council Ltd IBAC promotes the growth of business aviation, benefiting all sectors of the industry and all regions of the world. As a non->[...]
"During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off-season, we made the determination that 'Lil' needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth-cove>[...]
Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offer>[...]
Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production a>[...]
Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for >[...]