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At long last, Congress is moving closer to legislation that will improve air travel, including modernization of the antiquated air traffic control system. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill had been in limbo in the Senate over a dispute on how to finance the new satellite-based system, which can handle more planes and should ease congestion.
The disagreement over how to pay the cost was finally resolved when Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation, agreed to drop plans for a $25-a-flight user fee. The fee was vehemently opposed by business and general aviation groups, but supported by the commercial airline industry and the Bush administration. Instead, the excise tax on business jets' fuel will be increased from 21.8¢ a gallon to 36¢ a gallon.
Recent publicity on air safety and congestion woes is helping the push for a resolution. Neither the administration nor Congress wants to be blamed for holding up legislation aimed at improving air travel, especially with another miserable summer of cancellations and delays predicted at the nations' airports. "Public pressure is intense," says one airport official.
Replacing the obsolete air traffic control system is key to reducing congestion. Modernizing the system will take years and billions of dollars, but aviation experts agree that it is vital for reducing delays at increasingly congested airports. Called NextGen, the system is satellite based and will allow planes to fly more closely together so more can be in the sky at the same time.
Additional safety provisions will be part of any FAA reauthorization bill. Rules to toughen maintenance standards at overseas repair stations will be included as will increased FAA oversight requirements, a plan to address runway incursions and a study of pilot and flight attendant fatigue.
A final bill may also include new protections for passengers. At the very least, the airlines would be required to develop contingency plans, outlining how they would provide adequate food, water and restroom facilities when there is a significant delay. The carriers also would be required to improve their disclosure of information on chronically delayed flights on their Web sites.
There are still hurdles that could upend the bill, including disappointment in the airline industry. "It's all bad news for the airlines -- a passengers' bill of rights, tougher inspections and rules for overseas repairs, no user fees for business jets -- why would they want a bill?" says one lobbyist tracking the legislation.
And there's also a looming veto threat over a provision in the House bill. It would require the FAA to go back to the bargaining table with its air traffic controllers and revisit the contract it imposed on them in 2006. The White House also objects to the lawmakers' rejection of its user fee proposal as a way to pay for the new air traffic control system.
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POSTED BY: anil patel (May 15, 2008 05:56 PM)
Given thst the FAA operates radar coverage over the entire CONUS and that these radars will not be de-commisioned as the GPS based system (ADS-B) is introduced it is hard to see the benefits that will result as both old and new systems enable real time tracking of aircraft. The money would be far better spent on introducing air/ground data link to enable "e-mail" like exchange between pilots and controllers - this will increase safety through avoiding mis-intepretation of R/T voice and reduce ATCO workload through avoiding repetition of R/T exchanges thus freeing ATCOs on managing the traffic within their sector.
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