Senator Rockefeller said “by plugging a hole in the
budget and providing the FAA with crucial funds to
operate the air traffic control system, we will
eliminate flight delays due to inadequate staffing and
keep America moving. This does not fix all of the
problems the FAA faces because of budget cuts,
especially for contract towers in rural communities. And
it does nothing for other essential government
operations and employees that also desperately need
relief. But it's a start, and I'm committed to keep
working on more solutions.”
Senator Collins said “the challenges the FAA faces this
fiscal year are daunting not only is the agency
operating under a continuing resolution but
sequestration compounds the problem. It’s unfortunate
that these irresponsible cuts led to widespread delays
to the air transportation system.”
The U.S. Travel Association applauded the swift action
and passage of bipartisanship legislation in the Senate
and House to end sequester-induced Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) furloughs that are causing flight
delays nationwide, but noted its concern in regards to
the potential funding source which would direct funds
from needed airport infrastructure projects.
The legislation passed will eliminates air traffic
employee furloughs through the end of September.
However, while this legislation averts the short-term
crisis there are other issues at hand such as funding
source for the FAA after September and concerns with the
provisions in the bill that allow airport infrastructure
funds to be transferred to air traffic control services
as U.S. airport infrastructure is approaching a dire
state.
At
a time when we should be modernizing our infrastructure
to improve efficiency, capacity and U.S. global
competitiveness, sequestration related issues should not
be solved on the backs of airports. It is crucial that
the Department of Transportation do everything in its
power to find appropriate savings to fund air traffic
controllers and avoid transferring funds away from
critical airport infrastructure.
Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots
Association, Int’l (ALPA) commending the swift passage
of the Reducing Flight Delays Act, which gives the U.S.
Secretary of Transportation the ability to transfer
funds within the Federal Aviation Administration’s
budget to prevent furloughs of essential employees,
including air traffic controllers.
“Today’s U.S. House vote, together with the approval by
the U.S. Senate last night, marks critical progress in
getting this country’s air transportation system back to
full staffing and giving the nation’s airline industry
the opportunity to realize peak efficiency while
achieving the highest standards of safety.
“Airline passengers and air cargo shippers, along with
pilots, other airline industry employees, and the
communities we serve, will all benefit from this
bipartisan solution. We urge the Administration to act
with all possible haste to ensure that the U.S. air
transportation system is positioned to succeed in
delivering the highest standards of safety and
efficiency.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association stated
“After just one week of furloughs, it is abundantly
clear that a fully staffed air traffic control workforce
is necessary for our national airspace system to operate
at full capacity. The nation’s air traffic controllers
and other aviation safety professionals take great pride
in their work and want nothing more than to be in their
towers and radar facilities, working each and every
flight.
“Thanks to the action taken this week in Congress, they
will be able to return to work full time. We applaud the
bipartisan nature of the votes and look forward to
working closely with the Department of Transportation
and the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the
newly granted flexibility is exercised in a way that
maintains our national airspace system’s status as the
safest and most efficient in the world”.
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