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Tag: air traffic control

  • The air traffic problem making your holiday travel even more miserable

    (CNN) — Even if you’re flying commercial for the holidays, private jets might be making your trip more expensive.

    That’s because, some critics say, business jets and others aren’t paying their fair share for the nation’s air traffic control system.

    The overwhelming majority of the Aviation Trust Fund — the main source of funding for the Federal Aviation Administration — comes from a variety of fees levied on commercial passengers; in contrast, business jets pay only a modest fuel tax.

    “If you’re standing in line for a commercial flight at Thanksgiving, you’re subsidizing private jet travelers,” said Chuck Collins, a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank that specializes in inequality and environmental issues. “We, the commercial plane travelers, are picking up the slack for the most luxurious type of travel.”

    Those taxes and fees airline customers pay include a 7.5% tax on the cost of every ticket, a $5.20 tax per trip segment, additional taxes on international flights, or flights to or from Alaska and Hawaii – even a 7.5% tax on the value of frequent flyer miles being awarded.

    There are roughly 20,000 business jets based in the United States, according to the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the industry trade group. That’s more than twice as many commercial passenger aircraft, but because the business jets fly less, they only account for about 9% of daily flights.

    The NBAA argues that the fuel tax of 21.8 cents a gallon, paid by private jet operators to the FAA, covers their fair share of the Aviation Trust Fund. Since business jets use more fuel than smaller planes, they pay a bigger share of the aviation fuel tax than small prop planes owned and flown by individuals, although less than the fuel taxes paid by airlines.

    “It’s a very efficient tax, and it’s a progressive tax,” said NBAA CEO Ed Bolen.

    But critics say that fuel tax only covers a fraction of business jets’ costs to the US air system.

    The fuel tax only covers about 10% of business jets’ costs to the FAA’s air traffic control activities, said Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank. “They’re getting a very generous free ride,” he said.

    Non-commercial jets paid $166 million in fuel tax last year, compared to $11.9 billion commercial airline passengers paid in fees and taxes, FAA data shows.

    Business jets have other advantages, too. Starting November 7 during the government shutdown, the FAA ordered commercial airlines to reduce the number of flights by up to 10% at the nation’s 40 largest airports, citing the shortage of air traffic controllers. That left tens of thousands of air passengers delayed or even stranded at large and small airports across the country.

    But it wasn’t until more than a week later, on November 13, that the FAA limited most business jets flight into and out of the nation’s 12 largest airports.

    “You can sort of see the priorities,” said Collins. “They should have grounded private planes before you grounded commercial travelers.”

    Airline passengers wait on November 7, as hundreds of domestic flights were canceled due to a shortage of controllers during the government shutdown. In contrast, private jet flights at major airports did not face restrictions until November 13. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP / Getty Images via CNN Newsource

    The FAA did not comment on CNN’s questions for this story.

    The NBAA’s Bolen said private jets, which are largely used by smaller firms, help businesses contribute to the economy.

    Bolen said business jets don’t add much cost to the system because they don’t increase the number of air traffic controllers needed. His group’s figures show only 3% of the flights at the nation’s busiest airports are by business jets.

    “It’s clear traffic systems are built to accommodate the requirements of the commercial airlines, and others fit into that system,” he said, calling air traffic control system costs for business jets “incremental.”

    When business jet flights were sharply reduced at Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, DC, after the September 11 attack, the airport’s control tower costs “did not go down one dime,” he said.

    But 254 smaller regional airports frequently used by business jets and private planes have few, if any, commercial flights

    Those airports have their own private controllers, known as “contract towers,” paid for under contract with the FAA. That system costs about $230 million a year, said Michael McCormick, professor of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. And the business jet fuel tax contribution to that system is a small fraction of that cost.

    “They’re very happy with the status quo,” said McCormick, adding that the business jet owners frequently lobby Congress against changing that.

    The Reason Foundation’s Poole says companies would likely pay up to keep their CEOs flying private even if fees were raised significantly. Most of the rest of the world taxes flights based on the gross weight of the plane times the miles flown, Poole said.

    “Whenever one of those planes flies outside of US air space, they pay those fees,” he said.

    Chris Isidore and CNN

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  • Government shutdown highlights nation’s air traffic control system issues again – WTOP News

    Despite funding challenges, the FAA kept its Oklahoma City academy open, continuing to train new controllers. However, looming budget shortfalls threaten progress as the agency faces a shortage of 3,000 controllers amid rising retirements.

    The problems with the nation’s air traffic control system have been spotlighted during the government shutdown, with controllers working without pay for almost a month and a half and hundreds calling in sick, resulting in thousands of flight delays or cancellations.

    However, one program that is training new controllers has managed to continue operating after the Federal Aviation Administration found some additional funding.

    New controllers are trained at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor Mike McCormick said it has managed to keep operating and graduating students during the government shutdown.

    “One thing that’s different with this shutdown, that we have not seen in previous government shutdowns, is the FAA has been able to find sufficient funding to keep the air traffic control academy opened during a shutdown, so they’ve been able to train new controllers to enter the pipeline of the air traffic control workforce,” McCormick said.

    “In fact, one of my graduates from the program just completed the academy training last week, and she is now on her way to Boston air traffic control center to work. So that makes a difference, because previously, government shutdowns definitely impacted on the control of workforce and the staffing numbers,” he added.

    However, the funding is due to run out Nov. 15.

    To speed up the hiring of new controllers, the FAA now has agreements with nine universities, including Embry-Riddle at Joint Base Andrews, to help train the next generation of men and women in control towers and other facilities.

    But the money for that university program, plus the spending for billions of dollars on planned hardware and software improvements, was not available during the shutdown.

    “The area where it may be impacted the most is going to be the programs and projects where you bring in new infrastructure and you update technology. During the government shutdown, those programs stop, and that means it’s a delay, but it also costs additional dollars to start those programs back up,” McCormick said.

    McCormick said an estimated 3,000 new controllers are needed because Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said as many as 20 controllers are retiring every day, compared with four a day before the shutdown.

    “What’s happening in the air traffic control system is very similar to what happened during the pandemic, and that is when you have stressors in the workplace that gets so difficult, those controllers who have the opportunity and the ability will retire or resign. That leads to greater than normal attrition levels. So, we’re going to have to make up for that attrition in the continued hiring program of the controller workforce,” he said.

    Controllers must retire from service once they reach age 55, and it’s a long process to get them fully certified.

    “It takes one to three years for a controller to certify once they get to the air traffic control facility, so we’re not going to see immediate changes to certified controllers,” he said. ”What we’ll see is that one to three years down the road, then we can bridge that gap with a 3,000 shortage across the United States.”

    “With the current hiring program and with the support of institutions, like Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, we’ll be able to feed many more controllers than what we’ve seen previously into the controller workforce,” he added.

    McCormick said in the history of American aviation and air traffic control history, the events of the past month and a half will go down as some of the most significant ever.

    “I would say this is one of the four key events in air traffic control — the first being the air traffic controller strike in 1981 and then we had the pandemic. And we also had Sept. 11, 2001, and now we have this record-setting government shutdown,” he said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Dan Ronan

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  • Hundreds of US flights are getting slashed Friday as the shutdown continues. Here’s what to know if you’re about to fly

    (CNN) — Millions of Americans expecting to fly this month could have their plans grounded weeks ahead of the holiday travel season if the longest government shutdown in US history drags on.

    Starting Friday, the Trump administration will cut flights at 40 airports nationwide by 4% and incrementally increase the reduction to 10% by next Friday if the shutdown continues, according to an emergency order from the Federal Aviation Administration.

    Several major airlines have preemptively canceled hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday and into the weekend. The cancellations will impact airlines like a busy weather day, one airline official told CNN. Unlike a storm, however, they will be spread across multiple cities as opposed to a geographic region.

    Here’s what to know if the travel nightmare turns into reality Friday:

    Which 40 airports will lose flights?

    The reduction in flights will be restricted to 40 “high-volume traffic markets,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “We’re going to ask the airlines to work with us collaboratively to reduce their schedules.”

    The list of airports mentioned in the FAA’s order issued Thursday includes New York City’s three major hubs – New York LaGuardia, New York John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International. Other impacted airports in the Northeast include Boston Logan International, Philadelphia International and Teterboro in New Jersey.

    Here are the airports in other regions that will see cuts beginning Friday:

    Midwest: Indianapolis International, Chicago Midway International, Chicago O’Hare International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Louisville International and Minneapolis-St. Paul International.

    South: Charlotte Douglas International, Dallas Love Field, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Houston Hobby, George Bush Houston Intercontinental, Memphis International, Orlando International, Miami International and Tampa International.

    DC area: Baltimore/Washington International, Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National.

    West: Denver International, Las Vegas McCarran International, Los Angeles International, Oakland International, Ontario International, Portland International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, San Diego International, Seattle/Tacoma International, San Francisco International and Salt Lake City International.

    Hawaii and Alaska: Anchorage International and Honolulu International.

    Many other airports could be impacted as well, since flights from the major cities where FAA cuts are mandated travel to smaller airports.

    How many flights will be cut?

    A 10% reduction in flights as mandated by the FAA could result in thousands of canceled flights a day – an unprecedented cut.

    Canceled flights will increase over the next week, beginning with a 4% cut of flights starting Friday at 6 a.m., the FAA order said.

    The cut will increase to 6% on Tuesday, then 8% on Thursday and up to 10% next Friday, the order says, if no deal is reached to end the government shutdown. Airlines will decide which specific flights to cut.

    “We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” said FAA administrator Bedford in a statement from the Department of Transportation.

    Which airlines have canceled flights on Friday?

    While most major airlines said the impact would be limited, the four largest US airlines have preemptively canceled hundreds of flights.

    Delta Air Lines has canceled around 170 regional and mainline flights that were scheduled on Friday, and more regional flights will be canceled, a spokesperson for the carrier told CNN.

    United Airlines will preemptively cancel about 200 flights starting Friday, roughly 4% of the airline’s Friday schedule and comprising mostly regional flights. It will cancel about 4% again on Saturday and Sunday, the airline said.

    American Airlines reduced flight schedules by 4% at 40 airports Friday through Monday, amounting to about 220 flights canceled each day, according to airline spokesperson Sarah Jantz. “Even with these cancellations, we plan to operate around 6,000 daily flights,” Jantz told CNN.

    Around 100 Southwest Airlines flights will be canceled Friday, the airline said. A Southwest spokesperson urged Congress to “immediately resolve its impasse” and said the airline is determining the schedule adjustments needed to meet the FAA’s flight reductions.

    I have travel plans in the coming days. What should I do?

    “If you are flying Friday or in the next ten days and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier,” Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle posted on Instagram.

    “Don’t book a basic ticket. For example, book Economy on Frontier so you can reuse the ticket value as changes are free or you can get a credit,” Biffle wrote. “If your flight is cancelled your chances of being stranded are high so I would simply have a backup ticket on another airline.”

    American, Delta, Southwest, United and Frontier are all offering waivers to allow passengers who do not want to fly to change their tickets without fees.

    It’s also helpful to book directly with an airline instead of through a third-party website. That’s because if your flight gets canceled, you might have to deal with another party to resolve the problem.

    And try to avoid booking flights with layovers, the US Public Interest Research Group says. The more planes you have to get on to reach your destination, the more chances you have for a flight to be delayed or canceled.

    What if I’m stuck at another airport and my flight gets canceled? Will anyone pay for a hotel?

    Airlines will be required to refund passengers for flight cancellations but they will not cover other costs like hotels, which the FAA notes is the normal procedure when an airline is not at fault for a delay or cancellation.

    Why is all this happening?

    The government shutdown, which started on October 1, has prevented many federal employees from getting paid.

    Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration screeners are considered essential employees and are expected to go to work during the shutdown. But they’re not getting paid, and some have needed to find other sources of income to pay the bills.

    “Controllers are resigning every day now because of the prolonged nature of the shutdown,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. “We’re also 400 controllers short — shorter than we were in the 2019 shutdown.”

    More than 450 staffing shortages have been reported at FAA facilities since the shutdown began, according to a CNN analysis.

    If airports are short-staffed, is it still safe to fly?

    The longer the shutdown continues, the more risks could emerge – especially as controllers go longer without pay, the union leader said earlier this week. But federal officials say reducing the number of flights will improve safety.

    “Every single day that this goes on, tomorrow is now less safe than today,” Daniels told CNN.

    But the newly announced flight cuts will help maintain safety, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.

    “THIS is safety management, the very foundation of our aviation system, and it’s the right thing to do,” National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy posted on X.

    “NTSB has repeatedly stated low air traffic control staffing levels, mandatory overtime, and six-day work weeks have a direct impact on #safety.”

    CNN’s Alexandra Skores, Forrest Brown, Aaron Cooper, Tori B. Powell and David Williams contributed to this report.

    Holly Yan, Pete Muntean and CNN

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  • What you need to know if you plan to travel this weekend – WTOP News

    The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday afternoon that it will reduce air traffic by 10% in 40 “high-volume” markets Friday morning, if the shutdown continues.

    The Federal Aviation Administration said it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume markets” beginning Friday, if the government shutdown continues.

    Travel delays have been adding up as air traffic controllers have continued to work without pay during the shutdown.

    According to ABC News, who has obtained the full list of airports that will see cuts, all three of D.C.’s local airports — Baltimore/Washington International, Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International — will be impacted.

    The FAA said the reduction will help maintain safety and avoid any major issues, including unstaffed air traffic control towers.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there’s been an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick since the shutdown started, leading to staffing shortages and delays.

    At a press conference on Wednesday, Duffy said they’re offering bonuses to air traffic controllers who are at the age of retirement to keep working.

    “What we’re finding is, our air traffic controllers, because of the financial pressures at home, are taking side jobs. … I do not want them to take side jobs, I want them to show up for work. We have asked them to show up for work. But I’m not naive to understand that they’re trying to figure out how they meet their daily obligations,” he said.

    FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said a list of the targeted markets will be released Thursday.

    CBS News Senior Transportation Correspondent Kris Van Cleave joined WTOP anchors Anne Kramer and Shawn Anderson to discuss how this might affect the three major airports around the D.C. region.

    Read or listen to the interview below.

    CBS News Senior Transportation Correspondent Kris Van Cleave joined WTOP’s Shawn Anderson and Anne Kramer to discuss the reduced air traffic

    The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

    • Shawn Anderson:

      Kris, can you break this all down for us?

    • Kris Van Cleave:

      This is likely going to be something that you will see impacts at the three Washington, D.C.-area airports. We’re talking about the 40 high volume areas. They weren’t specific as to which markets those were in yet, but it is safe to assume that the nation’s 30 busiest airports are going to be impacted by this, whether directly or because a flight that was originating there gets canceled going somewhere else.

      So this is going to impact people across the country, because you’re looking at anywhere from maybe 2,000 to 4,000 flights a day that the airlines were given 48 hours to figure out which ones to cancel.

    • Shawn Anderson:

      Elaborate on what reasons the FAA is giving for this decision.

    • Kris Van Cleave:

      So the FAA says they were looking at their internal data, and that they have been looking at things like this a lot closer since the crash in January between the American Airlines regional jet and that Army Black Hawk helicopter as it was about to land at DCA.

      They say that, as they proactively look through the data, they were seeing an increase in reports of the controllers who were on the job feeling pressured, stressed and fatigued. And they feel in order to bring the stress level and the fatigue level down on the controllers that are going to work every day — remember, they’re working without pay — they needed to reduce the volume of flights.

      Because you also have controllers that are calling in sick. Those sick calls have surged, so the folks on the job are taking on more work every day as they try to counterbalance the staffing issues at air traffic control with the 45,000 or so daily scheduled flights.

    • Anne Kramer:

      You can look anywhere on social media and see posts from flyers, from people warning, even some of the airports themselves, saying, “Look, TSA check lines may be three hours long.” Give us some perspective. What is this going to do to people trying to get a flight on Friday?

    • Kris Van Cleave:

      What this shutdown has done almost from day one, is inject a high level of uncertainty into everyone’s travels. I’ve likened it to “shutdown delay roulette,” because we know they’re going to happen. We don’t know when, we don’t know where, and we don’t know how bad. So it’s been really hard to predict.

      No one had on their bingo card that the Houston airport, that Bush Intercontinental, would have three-hour long security lines on Sunday, but it happened because their TSA staffing levels plummeted.

      We’ve seen the Burbank Airport in California, remember, it went to ATC zero. No one was in the control tower for a point. The next shift, it was staffed OK.

      So there’s a level of uncertainty here, and now you’re adding to that, because people who are planning to travel on Friday will likely get a notice from their airline that their flight’s been canceled. Maybe they can be rebooked at a time that works, maybe not; but you’re talking about tens of thousands of people that are about to have their travel disrupted.

      And it’s not just going to be Friday, it’s going to be every day until the FAA feels the staffing level, the pressure level and the exhaustion level of their controllers goes back to an acceptable level to increase the traffic back to normal.

    • Shawn Anderson:

      Is there any sense that particular airlines might be more affected than others, and what are the airlines saying about this at this point?

    • Kris Van Cleave:

      Our understanding is the airlines learned about this plan about the same time we did. So they are scrambling. They’re meeting with the Department of Transportation and the White House, but they are going to have to scramble now to make some operational changes.

      DOT’s hope was to spread out the cancellation so that no one city pair or no one airline suffered more or unfairly. But in the top 30 busiest airports, airlines have hubs. In Phoenix, it’s American and Southwest. In D.C., it’s American at DCA. It’s United at Dulles. It’s Southwest at BWI. At those airports, it will likely be an outsized effect of the airlines that have the largest presence.

    • Anne Kramer:

      Kris, we have heard from the president and from his aides that the major airlines are supporting him and supporting the effort to try and reopen the government from the president’s side of things. What have you been hearing from airlines executives, if anything?

    • Kris Van Cleave:

      The airlines want the government back open. They want air traffic controllers paid. They want TSA officers paid. They want people back on the job so that they can run a dependable schedule.

      It costs airlines thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars, to cancel flights. And if you talk about gridlocking the system, airlines will start burning millions of dollars if their planes aren’t flying. So certainly, from an airline perspective, it’s good business. It’s important for their bottom line. It’s important for safety that the government reopen.

      The airlines have said they’ve already seen a pullback in bookings. They just today said they expect the busiest Thanksgiving ever, and that’s a big question mark. We’re three weeks away, three weeks away from the Thanksgiving travel period, and you have the FAA talking about shaving 10% of flights out of the schedule because of staffing. Well, those pressures are only going to get more intense the longer this goes on.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Ciara Wells

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  • President Trump urges Republicans to reopen government as shutdown marks longest in US history

    The government shutdown has reached its 36th day, the longest in U.S. history, as President Donald Trump pressures Republicans to end the Senate filibuster in order to reopen the government.”It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that’s terminate the filibuster. It’s the only way you can do it,” Trump told senators Wednesday at the White House.The filibuster is a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Ending the filibuster would allow Republicans to pass a bill with a simple majority, but several Republicans warn that when Democrats are in power, they’d be able to do the same thing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after breakfast at the White House, “It’s just not happening.”The president also said the shutdown was a “big factor, negative” in Tuesday’s election results.”Countless public servants are now not being paid and the air traffic control system is under increasing strain. We must get the government back open soon and really immediately,” Trump said.The shutdown is hitting home for many Americans, with lines stretching at food banks across the country as SNAP benefits are delayed and reduced for more than 40 million Americans. After-school programs that depend on federal dollars are closing. The Transportation Secretary said, starting Friday, there will be a 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports across the country.Republicans have pushed to reopen the government with a short-term spending bill. Democrats have rejected those bills, arguing that Republicans are leaving out a key provision: restoring expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans lower their health-insurance costs. Democrats say passing a short-term bill without those subsidies would leave families facing sudden premium spikes.”The election results ought to send a much needed bolt of lightning to Donald Trump that he should meet with us to end this crisis,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “The American people have spoken last night. End the shutdown, end the healthcare crisis, sit down and talk with us.”Republicans have said they’re willing to negotiate ACA subsidies, but only after the shutdown is over.See more government shutdown coverage from the Washington News Bureau:

    WASHINGTON —

    The government shutdown has reached its 36th day, the longest in U.S. history, as President Donald Trump pressures Republicans to end the Senate filibuster in order to reopen the government.

    “It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that’s terminate the filibuster. It’s the only way you can do it,” Trump told senators Wednesday at the White House.

    The filibuster is a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Ending the filibuster would allow Republicans to pass a bill with a simple majority, but several Republicans warn that when Democrats are in power, they’d be able to do the same thing.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after breakfast at the White House, “It’s just not happening.”

    The president also said the shutdown was a “big factor, negative” in Tuesday’s election results.

    “Countless public servants are now not being paid and the air traffic control system is under increasing strain. We must get the government back open soon and really immediately,” Trump said.

    The shutdown is hitting home for many Americans, with lines stretching at food banks across the country as SNAP benefits are delayed and reduced for more than 40 million Americans. After-school programs that depend on federal dollars are closing.

    The Transportation Secretary said, starting Friday, there will be a 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports across the country.

    Republicans have pushed to reopen the government with a short-term spending bill. Democrats have rejected those bills, arguing that Republicans are leaving out a key provision: restoring expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans lower their health-insurance costs. Democrats say passing a short-term bill without those subsidies would leave families facing sudden premium spikes.

    “The election results ought to send a much needed bolt of lightning to Donald Trump that he should meet with us to end this crisis,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “The American people have spoken last night. End the shutdown, end the healthcare crisis, sit down and talk with us.”

    Republicans have said they’re willing to negotiate ACA subsidies, but only after the shutdown is over.

    See more government shutdown coverage from the Washington News Bureau:

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  • FAA extends flight restrictions at Newark Airport until Oct. 24, 2026

    NEWARK, New Jersey — The Federal Aviation Administration is extending the limited rate of arrivals and departures at Newark Liberty International Airport through October 2026.

    Air traffic controllers who handle flights arriving and departing the airport were plagued early this year by multiple communications and radar outages, leading to thousands of cancellations.

    “The goal of the reduced rates is to continue maintaining safety while alleviating flight delays due to staffing and equipment challenges, resulting in smoother travel into and out of Newark,” the FAA said in a release.

    While the FAA continues to limit flights, the number of takeoffs and landings is going up by four per hour to 72, still well below the more than 80 the airport saw before the current caps were put in place.

    United Airlines, which operates a large hub at Newark, has supported limiting the number of flights into the airport.

    “The reduced operations, along with continued focus on technology upgrades and ATC staffing increases, are critical milestones toward Newark’s long-term operational certainty,” CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. “Things will only get better as we head into the fall and winter seasons.”

    Former acting head of the FAA, Chris Rocheleau, had testified in June to members of the House that by this October, the Philadelphia air traffic control facility that handles flights in and out of Newark would reach healthy staffing levels and technology issues would be resolved.

    The FAA said it has “successfully transitioned” to a brand-new fiber optic communications network between New York and the Philadelphia TRACON. Staffing has also increased, with 22 fully certified controllers and five certified supervisors. Twenty-seven controllers and supervisors are in training.

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  • Air Traffic Control Collegiate Program Certified to FAA Qualifications at SUNY Schenectady County Community College

    SUNY Schenectady and Federal Aviation Administration Sign Agreement for College to Join Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) Program


    SCHENECTADY, N.Y., May 30, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    SUNY Schenectady County Community College and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have signed an agreement for SUNY Schenectady to become the next school in the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program. SUNY Schenectady is only the sixth college or university across the country, and one of only two community colleges, that the FAA has authorized to provide the same thorough curriculum and advanced training technology offered at the agency’s Academy in Oklahoma City.

    The Enhanced Initiative was created to allow qualified institutions to provide their students with equivalent FAA Academy Air Traffic Control curriculum and training. Graduates of the Enhanced AT-CTI offered at SUNY Schenectady, with FAA oversight, could be placed directly into a facility, if hired as Air Traffic Control Specialists. This means that students who graduate from the SUNY Schenectady program and pass the FAA-proctored Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) are able to bypass six months of training at the FAA site in Oklahoma City and can start working in an FAA tower. In addition to passing the ATSA, these graduates must meet medical and security requirements.

    According to the FAA, “The program will increase the controller training pipeline and ensure graduates have the necessary skills to begin immediate facility training.”

    Dr. Steady Moono, College President, said, “SUNY Schenectady is proud to be at the forefront of responding to a critical, national need for qualified Air Traffic Controllers by partnering with the FAA on the new Enhanced AT-CTI program. This is an extraordinary opportunity for students to gain the same rigorous curriculum and training that the FAA provides at the Academy in Oklahoma City. We welcome students from across the country as they train to begin their careers in the Air Traffic Control industry. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Senator Chuck Schumer who called on the FAA to include SUNY Schenectady in its Enhanced AT-CTI program, noting that the College was uniquely qualified and ready to create a pipeline of students to enter this high-paying career and address the nationwide shortage.”

    New York Senator Chuck Schumer said, “Prepare for takeoff to better address the air traffic controller shortage because the FAA just approved SUNY Schenectady to join their prestigious Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative. As airports continue to struggle with the national air traffic controller shortage, I pushed to have Schenectady join this competitive program because they have proven themselves to be a leader in aviation training uniquely capable of helping equip students with the skill they need to enter this career. SUNY Schenectady’s air traffic controller training program is ready to create a local pipeline of students to enter this high-paying field tasked with protecting the safety of our skies. I’m thrilled the FAA heeded my calls and is helping the next generation of air traffic controllers reach new heights right here in the Capital Region. I commend SUNY Schenectady President Dr. Steady Moono and the college’s Aviation Program’s leadership for this new milestone and a continued high standard of training of our next generation of controllers.”

    Gary Hughes, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature, added, “We’re grateful to Senator Schumer for his steadfast support of SUNY Schenectady and his efforts to address the national shortage of air traffic controllers. The FAA’s designation highlights the strength of our Aviation Science and Air Traffic Control degree programs, which equip students with hands-on, career-ready training. With the College’s new Enhanced status, students will have even more pathways to success-including the opportunity for direct placement into an air traffic control facility-and will help keep our skies safer across the country.”

    Graduates of the program earn their A.A.S. degrees in Air Traffic Control. SUNY Schenectady first began offering the degree program in ATC in 2012 and in January 2025 the College unveiled its new Air Traffic Control simulator, the largest and most comprehensive at a community college east of the Mississippi River.

    The FAA-approved SUNY Schenectady ATC Simulator features:

    • Three ATC Tower stations for ultra-realistic training

    • Seven 75″ monitors for 215 degrees of complete tower immersion

    • Four radar TRACON stations for multi-training scenarios and realism

    • ATSpeak which reinforces radar, tower, ramp, pilot, and airside driver phraseologies

    • Seven Remote Pilot stations for real human-voice responses and pilotage

    • FAA Academy Curriculum for the BEST in ATC Training

    In addition to the ATC degree program, SUNY Schenectady offers an A.S. degree in Aviation Science: Pilot and an Aviation Science: Non-Pilot Administration and Management degree through the Division of Business and Professional Programs, among the College’s 60 degrees, certificates, and microcredentials.

    SUNY Schenectady is now accepting applications for the Enhanced AT-CTI program at www.sunysccc.edu/apply. Please contact the Office of Admissions at 518-381-1366 or admissions@sunysccc.edu for more information on how to apply.

    Images of SUNY Schenectady’s Air Traffic Control simulator and captions are available here.

    Contact Information

    Geoff Redick
    Director, Public Affairs
    geoff@bakerpublicrelations.com
    (585) 297-2453

    Matt Potolski
    Senior Account Executive
    matt@bakerpublicrelations.com
    (518) 698-4032

    Source: SUNY Schenectady County Community College

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  • Skyway and DART Launch Strategic Partnership to Further Vertiport Network Development Throughout California


    OAKLAND, Calif., February 13, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Skyway, a California-based vertiport development and operations company, has partnered strategically with the Drones, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) organization to accelerate advanced air mobility (AAM) solutions throughout California.

    This partnership with DART, established in the Monterey Bay Tri-county Region and home to some of the leading eVTOL manufacturers, highlights a shared mission to bring investment, innovation, and economic opportunity to urban and rural communities alike. Building on DART’s 2024 AAM Readiness Assessment and leveraging Skyways’ expertise in fiscal feasibility and operational modeling, the first phase of this multi-phase collaboration will develop a vision for regional air mobility operations centered in the Monterey Bay, extending to the Bay Area, Central Valley, and throughout the state.

    A vertiport network feasibility analysis will help inform ongoing transportation and economic development planning, supporting the growth of innovative companies, high-wage jobs, and improved mobility and disaster response capabilities.

    “DART’s expertise in catalyzing regional workforce development and infrastructure solutions, combined with Skyway’s innovative approach to vertiport operations, will create a blueprint for cities and regions across California,” said Clifford Cruz, Skyway CEO. “Together, we’re not just imagining the future-we’re building it.”

    By integrating advanced air mobility into both urban and rural areas, the collaboration aims to create accessible pathways for jobs and economic growth. From workforce training to infrastructure expansion, the Skyway-DART partnership is focused on ensuring that all communities-from the Monterey Bay Tri-county Region to the rest of the state-can benefit from these emerging industries.

    Skyway and DART are uniquely positioned to act as facilitators between key stakeholders, including government agencies, private developers, community-based organizations, and academic institutions. This collaboration fosters an environment of cooperation and shared vision, ensuring that the industry grows with input from all critical players. The partnership also highlights the need for a robust ecosystem of industry participants to meet the growing demands of advanced air mobility.

    Skyway’s leadership at the forefront of urban air mobility will be highlighted at the upcoming LIFT Summit in March 2025. The event will serve as a platform to share the progress of the Skyway-DART partnership and discuss use cases, safety advancements, and infrastructure development strategies.

    “The Summit provides an opportunity to showcase how partnerships like ours are turning bold visions into actionable plans,” said Josh Metz, DART Executive Director. “We’re proud to be working with Skyway to lead the charge in accessible and innovative transportation.”

    About Skyway

    Skyway is revolutionizing urban air mobility by equipping airlines, eVTOL manufacturers, and developers with cutting-edge vertiport solutions. Skyway partners with regulators and tech providers in advanced vertiport traffic management and unmanned airspace planning. Learn more at www.goskyway.com.

    About Lift Summit & DART

    DART is a California-based non-profit driving innovation in next-gen aviation and autonomous technology. Focused on equitable access to quality jobs and economic growth, DART partners with businesses, government, and education to develop sustainable solutions in workforce training, infrastructure, and resource access. Learn more at https://mbdart.org/.

    Source: Skyway Technologies Corp.

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  • Skyway Technologies and Berg Holdings to Establish Urban Air Mobility Vertiport Network in Northern California

    Skyway Technologies and Berg Holdings to Establish Urban Air Mobility Vertiport Network in Northern California

    • San Francisco to Get Urban Air Mobility eVTOL Flight Services
    • Vertiport Operations to Be Expected by Major Developers in the Region
    • Skyway to Become Leading Vertiport Technology Service in California


    SAN RAFAEL, Calif., October 2, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Skyway Technologies (Skyway), a pioneering vertiport infrastructure and planning company in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry, and Berg Holdings (BH), a long-time Sausalito-based Bay Area real estate developer, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of a comprehensive network of UAM vertiports in the Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California.

    Key locations within Skyway and Berg Holdings’ vertiport network rollout plan will support eVTOL industry development and convenient and speedy passenger and cargo delivery between Mountain View, Marin County, Sonoma County, San Jose, and locations along the East Bay I-680 corridor. The second stage of development will include other complementary and necessary locations in the Bay Area and throughout Northern California. Each vertiport site is designed to support relevant UAM use cases specific to that location, to provide required levels of service, to be integrated into the existing legacy airspace traffic, and to be agnostic to eVTOL vehicles, and is intended to be certified by the FAA and in place to support anticipated certified commercial eVTOL flight coming mid/late 2025.

    “The Bay Area has always been about pioneering and progress, with horizons to be navigated as well as admired. Berg Holdings looks forward to assisting Skyway in the pursuit of common-sense sites and regulations to make local aero mobility more equitable, efficient, safe, green, and enjoyable,” said Carlo “Carlito” Berg, Managing Director, Berg Holdings.

    Skyway and Berg Holdings see the slow-paced UAM infrastructure development marketplace as a unique opportunity to leverage Berg Holdings’ substantial real estate portfolio for ideal UAM vertiport destinations. BH views the partnership with Skyway and its comprehensive vertiport solutions set as a path to maximizing its market share, allowing Skyway to deliver the necessary UAM technology services to plan for and operate vertiport facilities while constantly analyzing other potential locations that benefit ideal regional and community UAM vertiport development strategies. This partnership will leverage Skyway’s extensive knowledge in vertiport site selection, further expanding the scope of its vertiport infrastructure planning practice.

    About Skyway

    Skyway, an Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) operation center and air traffic navigation Provider of Services for UAM (PSU), provides eVTOL and unmanned aircraft airspace mission planning services, vertiport airspace management services, autonomous vertiport ground services, and professional vertiport planning and development for public/private/hybrid clients. Learn more about Skyway and its latest partnerships and innovations by following the company on all social platforms or by visiting www.goskyway.com.

    Source: Skyway

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  • Skyway and TEAL Announce Strategic Collaboration

    Skyway and TEAL Announce Strategic Collaboration

    Skyway and Teal Communications Join Forces to Advance Urban Air Traffic Management and Connectivity


    SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 23, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Skyway, an air traffic navigation provider gaining international traction, and Teal, a global network connectivity platform, have partnered to provide reliable communication services for (UAS) Unmanned Aircraft Systems drone operations. Together, Skyway and Teal will provide best-in-class solutions for UTM with access to a reliable and secure global cellular network.

    Skyway is a provider of services for urban air mobility, operating as a UTM traffic center for autonomous aircraft that offers mission planning services for unmanned operations and EVTOLs, as well as management of vertiport airspace. Reliable and real-time communication is critical for Skyway’s navigation operations as it tracks aircraft location, speed, and altitude, and transfers important data such as unforeseen weather and other hazards. 

    Teal offers a convenient eSIM platform that brings simplicity to Skyway’s operational pain points by providing a single eSIM SKU that enables on-demand access to any global network at the click of a button. With Teal, Skyway can ensure they always have secure communication capabilities.

    Skyway and Teal’s strategic partnership brings together the leading UTM solutions provider and the leading eSIM platform to provide a comprehensive suite of services to their users. Teal’s eSIM platform enables reliable connectivity anywhere in the world, giving Skyway’s navigation services the ability to quickly and securely relay information to unmanned drones and eVTOL aircraft, helping to ensure safe air traffic operations. 

    Secure technology is vital for integrating automation into air traffic management, enhancing efficiency and safety. It safeguards sensitive information and ensures its accurate transmission, helping minimize any error that might occur within operations. With the growing complexity of air traffic management and the integration of unmanned aircraft, secure and highly efficient communications are essential to maximizing efficient operations. 

    “The data link between ATM operations and remote aircraft is critical,” said Clifford Cruz, CEO at Skyway. “Innovating this service for AAM operations at high altitudes reliability will strengthen our strategic client base and value proposition.” 

    Efficient communications are key in the widespread adoption of automated air technologies and their effective management. Both companies will work together in innovating features that go beyond basic aircraft communications with leading-edge technology. Skyway and Teal services will work to streamline solutions so that customers have access to a wide range of mobility in the years to come.

    “We’re thrilled to be providing Skyway with a simple solution that enables them to provide reliable connectivity for any mission-critical ATM operations worldwide,” said Robert Hamblet, CEO of Teal. 

    About Skyway 

    Skyway provides UATM and PSU services for UAM, including airspace planning and vertiport management. Learn more about Skyway and its latest partnerships and innovations by following them on all social platforms or visiting goskyway.com.

    Source: Skyway

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  • Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg cites ‘uptick’ in aviation incidents at FAA safety summit reviewing ‘serious close calls’ | CNN

    Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg cites ‘uptick’ in aviation incidents at FAA safety summit reviewing ‘serious close calls’ | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday there has been an “uptick” in recent aviation incidents and called on participants at a Federal Aviation Administration safety summit to help find the “root causes” of the issues.

    “We are particularly concerned because we have seen an uptick in serious close calls,” Buttigieg said in his opening remarks, referring to a series of near collisions on runways across the US.

    The summit comes after the FAA said it was investigating another close call between commercial airliners. The most recent close call was at Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC – the seventh since the start of this year.

    On March 7, Republic Airways Flight 4736 crossed a runway, without clearance, that United Airlines Flight 2003 was using for takeoff, according to a preliminary review, the FAA said. The United pilot had just been cleared for takeoff, the agency said.

    “An air traffic controller noticed the situation and immediately canceled the takeoff clearance for the United flight,” the FAA said.

    The FAA safety summit in McLean, Virginia, is the first of its kind since 2009 and kicks off a sweeping safety review the agency is conducting in the wake of the incursions.

    “Today is about the entire system, which means it’s about all of us,” Buttigieg said at the summit’s opening on Wednesday. The summit includes safety investigators, industry representatives, union leaders, and others.

    Buttigieg said Wednesday’s summit is the first in a series of coordinated events the FAA will conduct to find out what’s working well and what “new steps” need to be taken to ensure safety.

    Air travel has had a strong safety record and is the safest form of travel, Buttigieg said, but “we dare not” take that record for granted.

    The chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board told participants in the summit that the safety agency has made seven recommendations on runway collisions that have not been enacted.

    “One is 23 years old and still appropriate today on technology warning pilots of an impending collision,” chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.

    “How many times are we going to have to issue the same recommendations over and over and over again?” she asked.

    Homendy said she’s already found one common issue with the six runway incursions they are investigating. In each case, the cockpit voice recorder, known as one of the black boxes, was overwritten, preventing investigators from hearing what took place on the flight deck.

    “All federal agencies here today need to ask: Are we doing everything possible to make our skies safer? We’ve been asking ourselves that very question at the NTSB,” she said.

    Nick Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, the trade association representing the major airlines, told the summit, “There’s constant self-evaluation always going on.”

    Calio said the airlines are looking at their data to try to find ways to make aviation safer so that close calls on runways, like those under investigation by the NTSB, don’t happen.

    “I don’t want to speculate a lot on what’s happened there, because they’re all under investigation. And we’re all trying to determine what is going on. Is this a trend? Is this a pattern?” he said.

    Rich Santa, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, cited a lack of staffing in air traffic control towers as a potential culprit.

    “Unfortunately, we have a staffing issue right now, as air traffic controllers. We are 1,200 certified professional controllers less now than we were 10 years ago,” he said at the summit. “It’s time for us to accurately and adequately staff the facilities.”

    Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen told the summit the agency is “continuing to hire” and is on pace to hire 1,500 controllers this year and another 1,800 next year.

    The NTSB is investigating the string of runway incursions involving commercial airliners. The near-collisions on US runways also have prompted federal safety investigators to open a sweeping review.

    Last month, a Southwest passenger jet and a FedEx cargo plane came as close as 100 feet from colliding at an Austin, Texas, airport, and it was a pilot – not air traffic controllers – who averted disaster, according to Homendy.

    In January, there was an alarming close call similar to this latest one. A Delta Air Lines flight was taking off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport when air traffic controllers “noticed another aircraft crossing the runway in front of the departing jetliner,” the FAA said in a statement.

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  • On eve of safety summit, FAA investigates another runway close call | CNN

    On eve of safety summit, FAA investigates another runway close call | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating yet another close call between commercial airliners, this time at Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC – the seventh since the start of this year.

    On March 7, Republic Airways Flight 4736 crossed a runway, without clearance, that United Airlines Flight 2003 was using for takeoff, according to a preliminary review, the FAA said. The United pilot had just been cleared for takeoff from the runway, the agency said.

    “An air traffic controller noticed the situation and immediately canceled the takeoff clearance for the United flight,” the FAA said.

    Recordings accessed from LiveATC.net show air traffic controllers in the tower exclaiming, “United 2003 cancel takeoff clearance!” The crew of the United flight responded, “Aborting takeoff, United 2003.”

    The pilot of the Republic flight had been cleared to cross a different runway, “but turned on the wrong taxiway,” the FAA said.

    The news of yet another close call comes ahead of Wednesday’s FAA safety summit, the first of its kind since 2009. The summit kicks off a sweeping safety review that the agency is conducting in the wake of these incursions.

    Last month, a Southwest passenger jet and a FedEx cargo plane came as close as 100 feet from colliding at an Austin, Texas, airport, and it was a pilot – not air traffic controllers – who averted disaster, according to Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

    And in January, there was an alarming close call similar to this latest one. A Delta Air Lines flight was taking off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport when air traffic controllers “noticed another aircraft crossing the runway in front of the departing jetliner,” the FAA said in a statement.

    “S–t!” exclaimed the controller from the tower of John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday night. “Delta 1943 cancel takeoff clearance!”

    The Delta plane “stopped its takeoff roll approximately 1,000 feet before reaching the point where American Airlines Flight 106, a Boeing 777, had crossed from an adjacent taxiway,” the FAA said.

    The NTSB – which is investigating the six other runway incursions involving commercial airliners – told CNN it is aware of the latest incident but has not yet launched an investigation.

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  • What’s going on with all the runway close calls | CNN Politics

    What’s going on with all the runway close calls | CNN Politics

    A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.



    CNN
     — 

    There have been six close calls on US runways this year, which has led to a fair amount of news coverage, some alarm among the flying public and a lot of calls for answers – including from the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration Billy Nolen, who testified on Capitol Hill this week.

    Unable to explain the spike, Nolen told lawmakers the agency wants to get to the bottom of things at a safety summit planned for next week. There are also specific investigations into each incident in Boston; Burbank, California; Austin, Texas; Honolulu; New York; and Sarasota, Florida.

    I talked to CNN’s Pete Muntean, who not only covers aviation but is also a pilot and flight instructor, for his perspective on what the heck is going on.

    Our conversation, conducted by phone, is below. Stick with it for an interesting bonus story on how low-flying planes are used to find poachers in Africa.

    WOLF: Six close calls in recent weeks. Are these all distinct events? Or should we view them as one larger issue?

    MUNTEAN: There’s definitely a constant theme because they’re the same type of event, which is officially known as a runway incursion. It is where two airplanes essentially get in the way of one another on or near the runway.

    These types of events can range from really minor to more egregious. What we saw at JFK in New York in January, that had to be one of the more egregious ones. The air traffic controller had to swoop in and stop a flight that was barreling down the runway toward a crossing, taxiing (Boeing) triple seven from taking off.

    That is a more extreme, severe example. There have been some examples where the airplanes get within a few hundred feet of one another, maybe as close as 100 feet. One of the cases like in Austin.

    But they’re not really caused, necessarily, by the same thing. That’s, of course, something that investigators will look at.

    (On Wednesday) the acting head of the FAA on Capitol Hill said that if there are dots to connect, they’ll connect them in this safety summit next week, although it doesn’t seem like there was any real common trigger. No common cause.

    RELATED: FAA to conduct sweeping safety review after multiple incidents

    WOLF: Who is supposed to keep these from happening? Is it the air traffic controllers? Is it the pilots? How is it supposed to work?

    MUNTEAN: There are multiple different layers of safeguards in place in the air traffic system, especially at these busy airports where there are a lot of airliners coming in and out in a lot of varying conditions, a lot of different times of day.

    Some of the responsibility falls on air traffic control. Of course, it’s their job to keep airplanes from running into one another. Some of the responsibility falls on the flight crew to keep it so that they follow the instructions of air traffic control, that they remain vigilant all the time, if they’re taxiing across runways or taking off from a runway that’s crisscrossing with another one as they’re about to land.

    The good news is that in commercial aviation in the US – which has a stellar track record, by the way – there are two trained pilots at all times. And there are a lot of eyeballs essentially making it so that these things don’t happen.

    The pilots can intercede at any point, and in some cases they have. They’ve just essentially called their own go-arounds to make it so that they don’t come in contact with an airplane. In some cases, the air traffic controllers will call it. The onus is on a few different layers here.

    I’m a pilot, but I just did a demonstration with a former NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigator at a busy airport, Dulles (in Virginia), and it begs pointing out that some of the safeguards are as simple as paint on the runway and taxiways to remind pilots not to taxi too close to the runway. Some of it is in the phraseology that’s used on the radio. Some of it is in the procedures and training the pilots get.

    I think every pilot that’s out there now – and if you talk to professional pilots this is something that weighs on them – this has been a chronic problem for aviation for a while. But now, because of these headlines, it’s especially top of mind for pilots and air traffic controllers and regulators and safety advocates.

    WOLF: You said it’s a chronic problem. Is there any indication or any data to suggest this is happening more often? Or are we in the media just paying attention to it?

    MUNTEAN: I think these events are getting more attention. No doubt that these six that we have seen so far this year are extreme. Usually they don’t happen with such severity, with such frequency.

    But the FAA, at every layer of aviation from commercial aviation on down to small airplanes and private airports, they’re always trying to remind pilots to remain vigilant. Something that pilots really train for in their first flying lesson is how to behave in and respect the environment around an airport.

    In some ways, it’s like flying with a loaded gun. You have to be really, really careful.

    The reason why these are happening, one pilot told me – who’s the representative for a large union of airline pilots and a major airline – he said the system is just under so much pressure right now. There’s a lot of corporate pressure for airlines to get back on their feet after the pandemic.

    There’s a lot of new pilots flying right now, who may have matriculated from regional airlines to larger airlines. A lot of the old guard have retired. Pilots have left just because they were given voluntary leave packages as a result of the downturn of the pandemic.

    There are a ton of different factors at play.

    The fact that we’re sort of paying attention to these more just sort of highlights that nobody can ever let their guard down.

    WOLF: Is the current air traffic system that we’re using technologically up to snuff?

    MUNTEAN: I think it is. And I think the FAA would say that it is, because they have added in so many layers of technology to make it so that these incidents are avoided.

    They have technology that can sense, at some larger airports, whether or not a pilot is lined up with the wrong thing, if they were aiming for a runway but instead aimed for a taxiway to land on – which has happened before.

    They have more lighting on the pavement that warns pilots, essentially like a stoplight, to make it so they don’t go rolling across a runway as they are taxiing across one.

    There are even systems that make it so that they can sense, using radar and other technologies, where airplanes are on the ground and not just in the air. Some of these runway incursions are caused simply by airplanes being in the wrong place as they are taxiing and not necessarily in the air.

    I think the system is up to snuff. I think the FAA would say the system is up to snuff. But they’re also using this as a moment to sort of reinspect and have some introspection on the matter and whether or not they could be doing more to make it so that these problems can be avoided.

    WOLF: You already pointed out that commercial aviation in the US is incredibly safe.

    MUNTEAN: The last time there was a fatality was 2018, which was kind of a freak accident, where a person got hit on a Southwest flight by a fan blade that broke up in a jet engine.

    We’re reporting on crashes that don’t happen. These are close calls, sure, but nobody’s been hurt. Nobody’s been killed. So it kind of shows, in a way, how safe the system is.

    WOLF: Is there a spot in the system that is particularly weak? Is it takeoff or landing? What is the thing that makes pilots most nervous?

    MUNTEAN: The common theme is having so many airplanes close together. That’s sort of the inherent flaw of an airport, right? You bring in airplanes and take off and land. You may be using multiple different runways at the same time. There’s a lot of demand in the air traffic right now.

    Every airport is different, right?

    Some airports may have a lot of runways that are parallel and a lot of taxiways that are parallel to one another, like at Dulles the other day, where we went. There are three runways lined up: one left, one center and one right. They’re all headed the same direction to the north. You have to be really careful that you’re lined up with the right one.

    There are a few different things that you can do in the airplane to mitigate that and make sure that you have a safeguard of your own. But I think it really varies by the airport. In some places, there are intersecting runways. There are taxiways that have confusing turns.

    The FAA does granular looks at things like this, where they say something like this taxiway design isn’t all that great, there may be a blind spot here, as you’re taxiing you may approach this at a 45-degree angle or it could be a 90-degree angle where somebody in the cockpit can see more.

    Also when conditions are changing – we saw in the Austin incident the weather was abysmal at that time. It was very low cloud ceilings and very low visibility where the pilots were able to get an indication that there was somebody on the runway, an approaching FedEx flight and a Southwest flight that was still on the runway that hadn’t taken off yet.

    They weren’t necessarily able to see that (Southwest flight), so far as we know, by their eyeball.

    There are a lot of things at play. You can’t just say it’s any one different thing. And remember, these pilots are often going in and out of different places multiple times a day. The responsibility is on everybody.

    WOLF: Do pilots face the same sort of difficult lifestyle we’ve been hearing about for train operators?

    MUNTEAN: There’s a ton of regulation that protects pilots. We see that occasionally getting better. Even flight attendants have gotten longer rest rules recently, where they’re able to rest between trips for a longer period of time.

    There’s always friction between organized labor, work groups and the companies that they work for. A lot of times it comes down to regulators and what they are able to do for workers. Pretty much every major airline right now – their pilot groups, as well as a lot of major flight attendant groups – are going through contract negotiations with their companies.

    Some of the safety and protection, unions would say, comes from a good deal that protects not only their ability to work but also keeps pilots and passengers safe. Organized labor and unions have a lot to say about this, and they want to make sure that they are treated fairly to make it so that these incidents don’t happen.

    I just talked to Dennis Tajer, who’s the representative of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents all the American Airlines pilots, and he said this is something that we’ve kind of been pounding our fists on the podium about, we’ve said for about a year that the air traffic system and the aviation system and the airline system are just under too much pressure, and now you’re seeing the result of that.

    It’s on not only regulators like the FAA, the Department of Transportation but also companies to make sure that these major airlines – which are huge corporations – to make sure that their pilots are safe and doing the job properly with the proper amount of rest, with the proper amount of resources.

    WOLF: Right. It’s in nobody’s interest for there to be an incident.

    MUNTEAN: Everyone says safety is a top priority, of course.

    But depending on your viewpoint, safety can have a lot of different meanings.

    WOLF: It’s always been my sense that air traffic is one of the most, if not the most, government-regulated systems in the country. Unlike other areas where there might be a move toward deregulation, this is something the government controls and is going to continue to control.

    MUNTEAN: It’s super regulated because a lot of the rules are, frankly, written in blood.

    When you talk about this runway incursion issue, the landmark case is the Tenerife accident (in 1977), where KLM and Pan Am 747s that both diverted to Tenerife, an island near Spain, ran into one another and killed a bunch of people. There were some survivors, but it was a classic runway incursion incident.

    One of the airplanes was back taxiing down the runway, as the KLM crew essentially blasted off without regard for where the other airplane was. They couldn’t see it because the weather was poor.

    These regulations are often born out of horrible disasters. And I think the thing to point out here is that we have avoided disaster in these six cases, but in some cases came pretty close. It underscores why things were so regulated and also why the regulators are taking this so seriously.

    WOLF: What are you looking out for?

    MUNTEAN: I would point out these things are still under investigation. And the National Transportation Safety Board has tried to shed a lot of light on this issue. I asked Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the NTSB, why do you think these things are happening more?

    She said, well, it’s possible that these things are happening more. It’s also possible that these things are getting more attention. It doesn’t matter; it’s good that these things are being brought to the spotlight.

    That could ultimately have a huge impact on safety. Aviation is not waiting for another Tenerife. They’re taking these one-off scares and really trying to learn from them.

    WOLF: You sound very passionate about all of this.

    MUNTEAN: I love flying more than anything. The cool part of my job is I get to talk about aviation for a living, and it’s something I’m so passionate about.

    I also instruct and teach people. I just came back from this incredible trip in Kenya where I got to instruct for the Kenya Wildlife Service Airwing, flying with essentially rangers, who are also pilots, with an anti-poaching air force.

    And that was just incredibly cool, but the focus is safety. Maybe I’m a little biased, but aviation is just like something I always geek out on. It’s fun to talk about. …

    I was invited with a group of instructors to go there, and we were in a national park south of Nairobi, called Tsavo West. We flew with 19 different pilots. Three instructors from the States essentially go down and audit their flying ability and safety.

    They’re very, very good pilots. Because they fly at a few hundred feet, guarding against poachers and spotting wildlife, they don’t have a ton of margin for error. We did a lot of brush-up things with them, and they were all very appreciative, and it was a very cool and rewarding experience flying smaller airplanes.

    Those are the type of airplanes that are best suited for that mission, because they can fly low and slow and have a lot of visibility. You can’t do that in a jet.

    It’s sort of like flying into Jurassic Park, because you see elephants all the time, and we saw rhinos and more zebras than I can ever count, and giraffes. But these pilots do a really important job, and (it) was really cool to be a part of it.

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  • FAA is investigating a close call between 2 aircraft at Boston Logan | CNN

    FAA is investigating a close call between 2 aircraft at Boston Logan | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Air traffic controllers stopped a departing private jet from running into a JetBlue flight as it was coming in to land Monday night in Boston, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

    The FAA says it is investigating the incident. This is the fifth close call involving a commercial airliner on a runway this year.

    The two planes involved in Monday night’s apparent close call at Boston Logan International Airport came within 565 feet (172 meters) of colliding, according to Flightradar24’s preliminary review of its data.

    Asked for comment on the Flightradar24 analysis, the agency told CNN, “The FAA will determine the closest proximity between the two aircraft as part of the investigation.”

    “According to a preliminary review, the pilot of a Learjet 60 took off without clearance while JetBlue Flight 206 was preparing to land on an intersecting runway,” the FAA said in a statement on Tuesday.

    “JetBlue 206, go around,” said the controller in Boston Logan’s tower, according to recordings archived by LiveATC.net.

    The FAA says its air traffic controller told the crew of the Learjet to “line up and wait” on Runway 9 as the JetBlue Embraer 190 approached the intersecting Runway 4 Right.

    “The Learjet pilot read back the instructions clearly but began a takeoff roll instead,” the FAA said in a statement. “The pilot of the JetBlue aircraft took evasive action and initiated a climb-out as the Learjet crossed the intersection.”

    The National Transportation Safety Board tells CNN it has not launched an investigation into the incident at Boston Logan, though it has investigated four other runway incursions involving commercial airliners at major US airports this year.

    On Friday, the agency announced it was investigating a possible “runway incursion” in Burbank, California, involving Mesa and SkyWest regional airliners.

    Three other incidents have occurred at Honolulu, Austin and New York’s JFK airport this year.

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  • Skyway and Moonware Partner in Advanced Air Mobility

    Skyway and Moonware Partner in Advanced Air Mobility

    Skyway and Moonware Join Forces to Advance Automated Ground Solutions for Next-Generation Aircraft

    Press Release
    –

    Feb 2, 2023 07:00 PST


    SAN RAFAEL, Calif., February 2, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Skyway and Moonware are proud to announce a strategic partnership to accelerate ground infrastructure readiness for advanced aerial mobility. Skyway offers air traffic navigation and vertiport airspace management services while Moonware offers automated aviation ground operations through its AI-powered software and autonomous ground vehicles. 

    Moonware is a venture-backed startup developing automated solutions for aviation ground operations. Through its integrated product suite, Moonware’s technology aims to provide Urban Air Mobility (UAM) service providers with systems that efficiently manage airfield ground operations to safely meet flight throughput requirements.

    This strategic partnership aims to digitally integrate ground operations into UATM systems, enabling a streamlined airside workflow and extended navigation services from start to end. Skyway’s vertiport development department is expanding its operation offerings for nextgen facilities. As such, partnering with Moonware will provide the most reliable infrastructure for Urban Air Mobility as well as bring the next evolution in automated traffic services to airline operators.

    The principal challenges involved with eVTOL ground operations are the intrinsic limitations of self-taxiing aircraft, due to battery constraints and range requirements. As more vertiports are developed and brought onto the flight network, adopting standardized systems that can scale across a wide variety of operational requirements is needed. 

    HALO, Moonware’s Airside OS, is an app-based tool designed to coordinate and automate aviation ground services. With features such as automated crew scheduling and dispatching, GSE asset allocation, and real-time airside visibility, Moonware’s tool will enable Skyway to digitally integrate ground operations into its Vertiport Management System (VMS), allowing the UATM operation center to see critical information.

    “This partnership enables ground operations to be digitally integrated into UATM systems from the very start, agnostic of the type of airfield, and equips operators with a tool that will streamline their airside workflow,” says Javier Vidal, Moonware CEO.

    Moonware and Skyway will also establish requirements to deploy ATLAS, Moonware’s autonomous and electric pushback vehicle, to taxi eVTOLs in vertiports operating in Skyway’s network. ATLAS is currently under development at Moonware and will enable quick and safe aircraft transfers between parking stands and FATOs. The partnership with Skyway will seek to provide aircraft manufacturers with an extended range through engine-off taxiing operations, reducing energy consumption and vertiport noise.

    “Effective ground operations are critical to establishing long-term revenue growth for vertiport stakeholders, including airline operators. Vertiport uptime and organization of assets via Moonware’s technologies will increase Skyway’s facility operation offerings value proposition,” says Clifford Cruz, Skyway CEO.

    This collaboration marks a significant step toward the future of advanced aerial mobility. By partnering with Moonware, Skyway’s navigation services will extend through the entire charter experience with safe and reliable services from beginning to end. Together, Moonware and Skyway will tackle the challenges of the industry and pave the way for a seamless passenger experience.

    Source: Skyway

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  • Vertiport Operations to Soon Reach New Heights Through Siemens / Skyway Collaboration

    Vertiport Operations to Soon Reach New Heights Through Siemens / Skyway Collaboration

    Press Release
    –

    Jan 26, 2023 07:00 PST


    SAN RAFAEL, Calif., January 26, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Siemens and Skyway are working together to determine the electrical and digital infrastructure needed to support vertiport operations. Vertiports are hubs for VTOLs (vertical take-off and landing vehicles) such as air taxis and drones. The scope of collaboration involves both companies researching the energy demands of vertiports and developing sustainable electrical supply, standard charging processes, and a system of systems to support aircraft operations. Innovation around vertiport infrastructure will be critical to the future scalability of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flight operations.

    A main objective of the collaborative effort is to develop vertiports. This includes researching, developing, planning, and being part of the construction and operation of them, with each company bringing its own strength and experience to the effort. Skyway has a vast knowledge of airspace mission planning and management, air traffic navigation, and unmanned aircraft operations, and Siemens has infrastructure expertise in electrification, vehicle charging, and facility operations.  

    Together, the two will work together to design and engineer a universal eVTOL charging process by evaluating the charging, power, and software requirements to ensure reliable and efficient operations. In addition, Siemens and Skyway will collaborate on innovative ideas to standardize overall vertiport planning and design and reduce energy consumption.

    “Sustainable energy solutions will be the foundation and the necessity for adoption of Urban Air Mobility with the electrification of eVTOL aircraft,” says Clifford Cruz, Skyway CEO. “Combining our companies’ resources and industry foresight can influence vertiport construction efforts and general UAM solutions on an industry-wide scale while setting a new precedent for modern transportation.” 

    “It is exciting for Siemens to contribute to the evolution of the Urban Air Mobility Industry,” says John Kasuda, Head of Airports at Siemens Smart Infrastructure North America. “The development and efficient operations of vertiports will require innovative solutions to meet the expected demands of fast aircraft turnaround times and a network of varying landing facilities.” 

    The aviation industry is evolving with innovations being made in both flight and air traffic operations. eVTOLs bring a new mobility market that positively impacts communities through traffic decongestion and connection to areas not well served by the current aviation system. 

    Source: Skyway

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  • Flight disruptions: Florida hit by air traffic control issue; Denver by freezing fog | CNN

    Flight disruptions: Florida hit by air traffic control issue; Denver by freezing fog | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Two far-apart states are seeing fresh air travel problems on Monday.

    Air traffic control issues triggered hours-long flight delays to Florida airports, the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN. And the main airport in Denver, Colorado, is seeing substantial cancellations and delays because of a fresh round of winter weather.

    Late Monday afternoon, the FAA told CNN that the issue in Florida was resolved.

    “The FAA is working toward safely returning to a normal traffic rate in the Florida airspace,” the agency said in a statement.

    Earlier in the day, the FAA told CNN that it had “slowed the volume of air traffic into Florida airspace due to an air traffic computer issue.”

    A publicly available airspace status notice showed flight delays early Monday afternoon averaging nearly three hours with a maximum delay up to six hours.

    The FAA said the issue was with the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center.

    That center is responsible for controlling millions of cubic miles of airspace for commercial flights over Florida.

    A spokesperson for Miami International Airport attributed delays there to a Florida-wide “FAA computer system issue.”

    The FAA said earlier that Monday would be a busy post-Christmas travel day with 42,000 flights scheduled, “with possible heavier volume from south to north.”

    Some of Florida’s key airports serving tourists have been affected by the air traffic computer problem, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

    They include Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).

    About 750 flights originating or destined for the Denver International Airport were either delayed or canceled Monday because of inclement weather, according to FlightAware.

    As of 4:20 p.m. ET, about 285 flights set to depart Denver International were delayed, and almost 130 flights were canceled, FlightAware said. Almost 215 flights set to arrive, were delayed and just over 130 were canceled.

    According to CNN Weather, Denver has been reporting freezing fog with temperatures in the 20s since 6 a.m. local time.

    Visibility has been at or below a quarter of a mile all day. Light snow fell overnight, but the primary reason for the delays and cancellations is the freezing fog and low visibility.

    The airport at Denver was particularly hard hit last week during Southwest’s service meltdown.

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