FAA: Expect long delays at major airports -Air Traffic Controller Furloughs Kick In!

[KoKo]

FAA: Expect long delays at major airports as air traffic controller furloughs kick In!

Without the furloughs, FAA officials could find no way to cut $637 million from the agency’s budget as required by automatic, across-the-board spending cuts approved by Congress, LaHood and Huerta said at a media briefing.

Calling the automatic spending cuts “a dumb idea,” LaHood said his department, which includes the FAA, has done “everything possible” to find the money.

“If we had had our way, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here,” he said. “This is a fluid situation, but we want the traveling public to have the best information.”

In the most extreme case, the furloughs could delay flights up to 210 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, depending upon the time of day and other factors. The FAA said, however, that the average delay will be far less, about 11 minutes.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/flight-delays-ahead-faa-chief-says-furloughs-kick-in-sunday-for-air-traffic-controllers/2013/04/18/72437e96-a858-11e2-9e1c-bb0fb0c2edd9_story.htm


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Airlines sue FAA to stop air-traffic control furloughs
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY4:57 p.m. EDT April 19, 2013
The FAA predicts major delays at some of the busiest times at the nation's busiest airports because of the furloughs.

WASHINGTON — The nation's airlines and biggest pilots union are suing the Federal Aviation Administration seeking to stop the furloughs of air-traffic controllers, whose absences from the job could lead to major flight delays starting next week.

Furloughs scheduled to start Sunday are part of how the FAA has sought to handle across-the-board spending cuts required by Congress.

An FAA analysis released this week predicted fewer controllers will mean major delays at some of the nation's busiest airports.

The airline group, Airlines for America, which represents the biggest U.S. carriers, was joined in the move to halt the furloughs Friday by the Air Line Pilots Association and the Regional Airline Association, which represents many of the small carriers that many travelers fly each day.

The suit seeks a 30-day postponement of furloughs to allow Congress to approve legislation preventing the need for furloughs.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2013/04/19/airline-delays/2096993/?csp=twusattravel_sf11875865&sf11875865=1

[itsrobert]

1. Why aren't the airlines paying for ATC?

Afterall they are users of the system. What does all those taxes and fees on airline tickets go to?

[MineralMan]

2. The reason for making air traffic control a public

function is easy to figure out. If the airlines ran it, they might be willing to take risks they shouldn't to increase profits. There are reasons that some things are run by the government, rather than industry. The FDA is another example. Letting the pharmaceutical companies regulate themselves would lead to some real problems. They already have too much influence on the FDA as it is.

And then there are the bankers. We have clearly seen what a lack of independent regulation has done in that industry.

Privatizing functions that are currently government-run exposes the public to many risks. That's why libertarianism fails.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. +infinity. n/t

[itsrobert]

4. Yup, government run, but airlines and passengers should be paying for it.

fee based, government run,

[MineralMan]

7. We are. Look into it.

[Major Nikon]

5. + ∞

The privatized Swiss ATC system was the cause of the Überlingen mid-air, where the controller had two airplanes under his control and managed to run them together.

[Major Nikon]

6. Ticket fees go directly into the AIP trust fund which funds the ATC system

So do aviation fuel taxes.

[ananda]

8. This is so worrisome to me...

... because the Reeps and the rightwing media are blaming this on Obama.

I really hate this sequester.

[Fumesucker]

9. Beat me to it..

Obama will get the blame for not being willing to compromise...

[KoKo]

10. It's starting....

[neverforget]

11. Boehner: I got 98% of what I wanted

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-20086598/boehner-i-got-98-percent-of-what-i-wanted/

They asked for cuts and this is the result. Boehner and the Republicans need to eat this and Democrats should run this as a commercial.