Thu, Aug 27, 2015
Report Requested By The Leadership Of The House Transportation Committee
A report prepared by the FAA Inspector General's office released last week indicates that total air traffic operations handled by FAA facilities declined 19 percent between 2004 and 2013, yet FAA’s operations budget increased slightly during that time.
Consequently, the Chairmen of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Aviation Subcommittee requested that the IG assess FAA’s plans to enhance controller productivity, the factors that need to be addressed to achieve the expected benefits, and the estimated cost savings that could be achieved with improved controller productivity. A prior audit of FAA’s controller productivity initiatives found that they did not achieve the expected benefits. The IG's office also found that FAA does not regularly analyze the information in its numerous databases to determine if it could reduce costs.
For this audit, FAA data as used to assess the relative efficiency of FAA air traffic control (ATC) towers. "We found that FAA towers function at considerably different levels of efficiency relative to each other," the report says. "The least efficient towers used from 42 to 98 percent more resources than those of comparable relatively efficient towers, depending on the year and airport type. We estimated that the additional costs associated with the relatively inefficient towers averaged $142 million annually over fiscal years 2008 through 2013, for a total of $853 million. The 10 least efficient hub airport ATC towers alone accounted for 57 percent, on average, of this amount.
"We are recommending that FAA identify the factors contributing to greater resource use by the least efficient towers as compared with the relatively efficient towers and develop a plan for addressing them. FAA partially concurred with our recommendation."
More News
Say Altitude Used by ATC to ascertain an aircraft's specific altitude/flight level. When the aircraft is climbing or descending, the pilot should state the indicated altitude round>[...]
Aero Linx: European Air Law Association (EALA) EALA was established in 1988 with the aim to promote the study of European air law and to provide an open forum for those with an int>[...]
From 2023 (YouTube Version): The Life, Death, Life, Death, and Life of a Glorious Warbird In 1981, business-owner Jim Tobul and his father purchased a Chance-Vought F4U Corsair. Mo>[...]
Also: USCG Retires MH-65 Dolphins, Irish Aviation Authority, NATCA Warns FAA, Diamond DA42 AD This summer, history enthusiasts will have a unique opportunity to experience World Wa>[...]
Also: WACO Kitchen Bails, French SportPlane Mfr to FL, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Innovation Preview Bobby Bailey, a bit of a fixture in sport aviation circles for his work with>[...]