Month: July 2011

FAA Prepares For Worst Case By Issuing Stop Work Orders

July 27, 2011

This press release from the FAA is shocking but not unexpected.  As many in the Federal Government begin to get ready for the economic issues faced by not having legislation from Congress to continue paying loans and working.

WASHINGTON – Contractors have been told to stop work on critical airport modernization projects around the country after Congress failed to pass legislation on Friday giving the FAA the authority necessary for work to continue. Dozens of “stop work orders” have been issued for major projects designed to build and modernize control towers and other aviation infrastructure from coast to coast.

“Construction workers across America will lose their jobs and local communities will be hurt the longer this goes on. Congress needs to pass an FAA bill to prevent further economic damage,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is no way to run the best aviation system in the world.”

“Unless Congress acts quickly, more work on projects critical to our nation’s aviation system will come to a halt. Work is stopping on construction and planning projects, NextGen system testing, and airport certification.  The list goes on and on and this is just the beginning,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

Construction workers, engineers and planners were told not to come to worksites across the country after the FAA was forced to issue stop work orders on projects ranging from the construction of new air traffic control towers to the rehabilitation and modernization of air traffic facilities.  Nearly 4,000 FAA personnel, many needed to oversee various aspects of these projects, were furloughed on Saturday.  Stopping work on these projects could significantly increase the ultimate costs of construction for taxpayers.

Some of these projects include:

  • Las Vegas, Nevada: A more than $43 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at McCarran International Airport.  Contractor: Archer Western Contractors.
  • Palm Springs, California: A $24.5 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Palm Springs International Airport.  Contractors: Swinterton Builders.
  • Oakland, California: A $31 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Oakland International Airport.  Contractor: Devcon Construction.
  • Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: A more than $18 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Contractor: Donald J. Keating Co.
  • Kalamazoo, Michigan: A more than $14 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Battle Creek International Airport. Contractor: Skanska.
  • Gulfport, Mississippi: A nearly $12 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Contractor: Flintco, Inc.
  • Queens, NY: A more than $6 million project to demolish the old air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport. Work was supposed to begin on Saturday.  Contractor: Paul J. Scariano Inc.

Additionally, the FAA has issued stop work orders for $370 million in contracts with Jacobs Engineering of Pasadena, California.  The company is contracted to do all the architect, design, engineering and planning services for existing and future air traffic facilities. To view a list of projects where “stop work orders” have been issued click here.  This list will be continually updated until Congress passes an FAA bill.

Before last Friday, the FAA was also prepared to award contracts for new air traffic control towers in Cleveland, Ohio and Fort Lauderdale, Florida but was forced to suspend that process because the agency was no longer authorized to access the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.

In addition to the FAA’s work on the construction of aviation facilities such as control towers, it is a primary funding source for other airport projects through the Airport Improvement Program.  The program is also unable to operate without congressional authorization and as a result the FAA is unable to get roughly $2.5 billion out the door for airport projects in all 50 states that could put thousands of people to work in good paying jobs

Nearly 4,000 FAA employees in 35 states, and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have been furloughed and forced to go without pay. Large numbers of employees in New Jersey, New York, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Illinois and the District of Columbia will be affected. This includes many of the FAA’s engineers, scientists, research analysts, administrative assistants, computer specialists, program managers and analysts, environmental protection specialists, and community planners.

While this lapse in FAA’s authorization affects thousands of public and private sector jobs, it is important to note that the safety of the flying public will not be compromised.

We will continue to monitor this situation and I can only assume as these types of actions continue to take place, the loss of work and jobs will cause ripples that will begin to put serious pressure on Congress to take care of the problems sooner than later.

The FAA Celebrates 75 Years of Work

July 6, 2011

The world of aviation is getting a little older year by year and that is no different that the Federal Aviation Administration.  I was interested to read the following press release sent by the FAA.  Aviation has become one of the safest ways to travel and the reason is for agencies such as the FAA.  They have suffered some recent bad press with the air traffic controllers and other debacles, but for the most part they have done a good job of keeping our skies safe for all.  For you enjoyment we have reproduced the release of theirs here.

(WASHINGTON) – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today marked the 75th anniversary of federal air traffic control as American aviation experiences its safest period ever. Since its inception with 15 workers operating in just three control centers in 1936, the agency has become a world leader, pioneering safety improvements and developing new technology to speed up flights, save fuel and improve safety.

“The United States has the safest air transportation system in the world. But as the last 75 years show, we will never stop working to make our system even safer,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

“As a pilot, I am in awe of the aviation safety and technological advancements that have been made in the last 75 years,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “NextGen represents the next milestone in aviation innovation. The FAA is committed to transforming our national airspace system so passengers can reach their destinations even more safely and more efficiently than they do today.”

Federal air traffic control began on July 6, 1936, when the Bureau of Air Commerce took over the operation of the first airway traffic control centers at Newark, N.J., Chicago and Cleveland. Faced with a growing demand for air travel, the 15 employees who made up the original group of controllers took radio position reports from pilots to plot the progress of each flight, providing no separation services. At the time, the fastest plane in the commercial fleet was the Douglas DC-3, which could fly coast-to-coast in about 17 hours while carrying 21 passengers.

Since then, the air traffic system has expanded from three control centers to include 131 federal stand-alone airport traffic control towers, 132 towers for terminal area approach control, 29 stand-alone terminal radar approach controls and 21 en route traffic control centers. The number of controllers has grown from 15 to more than 15,000, a workforce that handles an average of 50,000 flights each day. The DC-3 has given way to jet aircraft that can carry hundreds of passengers and fly from New York to Los Angeles in about five hours.

The FAA continues to pioneer new technologies that will make air traffic control safer and more efficient. The Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, will transform air traffic control in the U.S. from a system of ground-based radars to one based on satellites. In parts of the country, controllers already are beginning to track aircraft via satellites with a state-of-the-art system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast, or ADS-B. ADS-B will be available nationwide in 2013 and will enable more direct routes, saving time and money while also lowering the industry’s environmental footprint.

This month the FAA will celebrate the 75th anniversary of federal air traffic control by highlighting advancements in air traffic controller training, NextGen, how the FAA handles convective summer weather and aviation infrastructure improvements.

For more information on the air traffic control anniversary, follow the FAA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FAA.