Wed, Feb 16, 2011
Blakey: FAA Request Puts NextGen On The Right Track
Reaction by the AIA to the release of the Obama administration's
FY2012 budget requests was mixed Monday. Association president
Marion Blakey had praise for the President's proposed spending
level for the FAA, but said he left NASA a little short.
AIA's Marion Blakey
"We are pleased to see the administration's continued commitment
to improving efficiency and safety and reducing the environmental
impact of the National Aerospace System through the fiscal year
2012 President's Budget Request," Blakey said in a statement
reacting to the FAA budget request. "In particular, the budget
request proposes to fund the NextGen initiative at $1.24 billion,
$200 million of which will come directly from the administration's
Infrastructure Initiative. Including NextGen avionics equipment in
the administration's $30 billion National Infrastructure Bank
proposal could accelerate the benefits of NextGen. This will help
address one of the larger challenges facing the full implementation
of NextGen—establishing a sound business case for equipping
airlines with upgraded avionics systems. Without the cockpit
infrastructure component, there is no NextGen.
"Furthermore, AIA appreciates the administration's recognition
of the important role aerospace manufacturers play in driving
innovation and contributing positively to our nation's trade
balance. Funding for an additional 100 certification personnel will
help avoid delays that could hamper international competitiveness
and speed the deployment of new products meant to improve safety
and make air travel safer and more efficient."
But when it comes to NASA, Blakey said the requested budget
falls short of the administrations stated goals for the agency. "We
are disappointed with the proposed fiscal year 2012 budget for NASA
of $18.7 billion, which represents a cut of $750 million from the
authorized level and a major drop of more than $6.2 billion from
the fiscal year 2011 request over the next four years," Blakey
said. "In his State of the Union address, the president challenged
this nation to embrace our "Sputnik" moment and win the future. Yet
the administration's request for NASA fails to recognize the return
on investment – both now and in the future – that our
nation's space program provides as we strive to innovate, educate
and build an America of which we can be proud.
"AIA understands the current difficult fiscal environment facing
the entire U.S. government. However, the aerospace and
defense industry is a true economic engine, employing more than
800,000 people across the country, supporting over two million
middle class jobs and 30,000 suppliers from all 50 states. It is
important that near-term cuts aren't made to programs that affect
our long-standing tradition of leading in space and impair our
investment in the future."
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 >[...]