He issues that flights interrupted at the largest airport in New Jersey this spring could be repeated anywhere in the country, so the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is trying to sell the Congress about its plan to Check the nation’s air traffic control system That will cost “tens of billions.”
Duffy provided an update on Wednesday on repairs and personnel efforts that are Ongoing To help eliminate the problems that affect the Newark Liberty International Airport, which has been working without problems in recent weeks since airlines began reducing the number of flights that operate there.
And Duffy emphasized that Newark radar interruptions and the shortage of air traffic control are an excellent example of why the outdated system should be improved.
“I worry that we can have more Newarks. And again, why it is so important that we really start this construction with the money that Congress will send us,” he said.
Duffy would still not give a price of its expansive review of the air traffic control system that, according to him, is clearly necessary after Mortal air collision On Washington, DC, in January that killed 67 people and all the problems that affect Newark this spring. But he said that the $ 12.5 billion that the Chamber included the massive bill of President Donald Trump will not be sufficient because “tens of billions of dollars will be.”
Duffy has gathered privately with legislators since he presented the plan. But he said he wants to let the Congress “dance the way Congress dances” to develop a plan to pay the program.
The problems that led to hundreds of cancellations and delays in Newark seem to have improved since the Federal Aviation Administration limited the number of flights at the airport so that they could handle it with the amount of controllers available. The installation of air traffic control already short staff in Philadelphia that directs airplanes inside and out of Newark lost five drivers due to license trauma after the first radar and the interruption of communications on April 28 and another is out of medical license.
That left the installation with only 16 certified controllers and five supervisors. But Duffy said there are another 16 experienced training controllers that expect them to begin to be certified between now and October.
That is an example of how FAA remains around 3,000 shorts in the amount of air traffic controllers that wants, so Duffy has also tried Accelerate the hiring and training process while offering incentives to prevent experienced controllers from retiring early.
FAA has said that he hopes to increase the amount of flights daily in Newark to 34 arrivals and 34 exits once a track construction project is completed in mid -June. That is also the time when some of the controllers with a 45 -day trauma license could be scheduled to return. The FAA will visit the limits in October again because it hopes to have more trained controllers by then.
The government also updated the software at the air traffic control facilities after a second radar interruption in May 9. That helped prevent a Repeat the problem on May 11.
FAA is also working on telecommunications problems. Duffy said Verizon worked quickly to install a new fiber optic line between Philadelphia and New York during the past month, but FAA wants to try it thoroughly before changing, so it will probably not be available until July. After that, FAA also plans to improve the lines between New York and Newark airport because some of them are still copper cables.
“Clearly, something was not going well when we experienced these interruptions,” said the interim administrator of the FAA, Chris Rocheeau. “At this time, part of this effort, part of this initiative, is to ensure that we act with decision, with the approach, with the approach, to ensure that the lines enter, to ensure that those layoffs are put, to ensure that the controllers have the tools they need to make the system safe, to operate safely.”
Meanwhile, Duffy said it would be a good idea for pilots to review their procedures on how to handle an interruption because they can happen. In addition to the problems in Newark, the controllers in Denver He lost his radios For a couple of minutes earlier this month. Duffy said there were also several other interruptions that affected Newark last year that they did not receive public attention.
“We have to look at the real world that surrounds us and some of the problems that arise and make sure they brush and ready to begin, if there was a brief interruption,” Duffy said. “And again, there are a lot of redundancy And many procedures that keep sure people if this happens. ”
