Posts tagged as:

Air Traffic Control system

Forget about climate change, let’s get to work changing the air-traffic system

by Charlie Leocha on February 23, 2010

I just saw another article about a new “attempt at passing a climate change bill in the Senate.” With the underpinnings of climate change in doubt, resignations of UN environmental bigwigs, flat temperatures over the past 15 years and the discovery that glaciers covering the Hymalayas are not likely to disappear in a decade, I [...]

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Air traffic delays cost U.S. more than hurricanes

by Karen Cummings on January 21, 2010

A study conducted by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress noted that U.S. air traffic delays in 2007 alone cost the economy as much as $41 billion. This figure included $12 billion worth of lost time costs for passengers and $19 billion in increased operational costs for the airlines. Over time, these losses SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Air traffic delays cost U.S. more than hurricanes", url: "http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/air-traffic-delays-cost-u-s-more-than-hurricanes/" });

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New air-traffic computers fail tests

by Charlie Leocha on October 8, 2009

Reports are circulating that on one of the initial tests of the new computer system planned for the Next Gen air traffic control (ATC) system, the systems failed to identify aircraft properly. The decades-old system had to be re-activated and the state-of-the-art computer was shut down.

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FAA reauthorization bill stalls in Congress, again

by Charlie Leocha on September 24, 2009

In case anyone was getting excited about the possibilities of a new air traffic control system and new funding of of the nation’s air traffic infrastructure, don’t hold your breath. With a sense of deja vu the House passed a temporary Federal Aviation Administration authorization extension yesterday.

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Can the FAA spend the stimulus money?

by Charlie Leocha on February 20, 2009

One wouldn’t think that warnings of too much money to spend would be heard during a House Subcommittee on Aviation hearing in Washington, DC; but they were. The passing of the stimulus bill means there is a lot of money, but the U.S. and the stated don’t have the mechanisms in place, nor the controls, to efficiently spend that much.

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Dear Mr. President Elect, here’s one traveler’s New Year’s wishes

by Ned Levi on December 30, 2008

Ned has a new year’s wish list for President Elect Obama’s Economic Recovery Plan and legislative suggestions to improve air travel and cruise ship safety.

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Government can fix the air traffic system — but does it want to?

by Charlie Leocha on September 23, 2008

Charlie LeochaThe meltdown of the nation’s financial infrastructure over the past two weeks has generated a fix or bailout that may cost a trillion dollars. That is trillion with a “T” — a whopping amount of money. The cost to fix the air traffic control system and fully modernize it? Fifty two billion. A drop in the bucket.

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FAA flight plan system error

by Charlie Leocha on August 27, 2008

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” Those immortal words from Cool Hand Luke, released in 1967, sum up the FAA flight plan fiasco that delayed and canceled flights yesterday. Ironically, much of the equipment used by the FAA was developed about the same time the movie was made. This time the switching network that failed is “only” 14 years old.

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