Thursday
Mar062008
Subcommittee of Transportantion, Housing, and Urban Development hearing on the FAA 2009 Budget
Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 4:49PM
At the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development hearing on the Federal Aviation Administration 2009 Budget Request, Congressman Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI) said he couldn’t think of any greater issue than aviation. A safe air system, he said, is essential to the economy. Unfortunately, he said, chances of real reform seem unlikely, and air congestion gets worse ever day. He said he wants to be sure that what is given up to do next generation upgrades is not superseding current issues.
Robert Sturgell, acting FAA Administrator, said he thinks the 2009 funding will cover all “critical” systems. Safety, Sturgell said, is the biggest concern. Two thirds of the budget is appropriated to the “safety mission.” We need to avoid complacency and always strive for better results. Last year, he said, there were only eight runway incursions among over 61 million planes. Everyone has stepped up and has been involved in the positive results.
Robert Sturgell, acting FAA Administrator, said he thinks the 2009 funding will cover all “critical” systems. Safety, Sturgell said, is the biggest concern. Two thirds of the budget is appropriated to the “safety mission.” We need to avoid complacency and always strive for better results. Last year, he said, there were only eight runway incursions among over 61 million planes. Everyone has stepped up and has been involved in the positive results.
Reader Comments (2)
The funding will cover it once you start fining airlines like Southwest at US$10,000,000-a-pop for your agency's own malfeasance, Bobby!
The ersatz impostor federal regulators of aviation have failed this country yet again, with their own arrogance, malice, incompetence, and ignorance.
The bottom line on the 60,000-plus Southwest Airlines flights in 2006-2007 and the many cracks in the airplanes used in those flights, called by Rep. Oberstar as “one of the worst safety violations” he has ever seen:
(1) the FAA let it happen, and thereby callously and malevolently put us all in harm’s way;
(2) it happened under Bobby Sturgell’s watch as well as Marion Blakey’s watch;
(3) the FAA looked the other way when first apprised of it happening - so that now, the only question is how high in the FAA did that cover-up go, just like we asked about the Watergate burglary and Sturgell’s namesake Frank Sturgis a few years ago; and
(4) the FAA is now fining Southwest, to give itself, the FAA, political cover; not to mention likely to try to subsidize the now-spendthrift FAA’s extensive litigation defense-costs brought about by 13-and-counting litigations and the FAA’s mismanagement and trampling of the rights of innocent Americans.
This is the FAILED AVIATION AGENCY. The American public must hit the “Eject” button on Bobby Sturgell, and replace him with an Administrator who is actually competent. NOW.
It seems that every week there is some new issue that shows how inept the management at the FAA is. This revolving door between the FAA and the aviation industry has truly made things a mess. How can "Bobby" regulate the aviation industry today when in all likelihood he will join his former boss working for the same industry tomorrow.
This issue with Southwest is only the tip of the iceberg. Something smells rotten and this tombstone agency will not change until another tragedy occurs.