How Safe Is It When Airline Inspectors Have To Pay Their Own Way?

By Kenneth R. Bazinet

Not everyone is as confident as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that airline safety is not being compromised by furloughed aviation inspectors having to pay their own travel costs and other expenses out of pocket to do their jobs.

Some airline pilots fear the partial shutdown by Congress of the Federal Aviation Administration is putting undue pressure on the inspectors.

“When the FAA inspectors are paying their own bills, will they go far enough, do enough and stay on site long enough to answer all of the concerns,” said one longtime pilot who spoks on the condition that his name not be used.

“Safety costs money,” he added.

If the matter is not resolved soon, rank and file union members will ask the pilots and other airlines unions to weigh-in and potentially take steps of their own.

LaHood insisted the inspectors who are fronting their own money to do their job “are dedicated federal employees who believe in their mission of safety.”

“I can say without equivocation, safety will never be compromised. Flying is safe, and passenger schedules should not be compromised by this issue,” LaHood said.

Congress failed to fund the FAA, forcing 4,000 FAA employees to be furloughed and costing paychecks for another 70,000 construction workers who had been working on $11 billion worth of airport projects.

The government believes it is losing $1 billion in uncollected taxes because of the do-nothing Congress.

Lawmakers blew out of Washington this week for their five-week vacations without resolving the FAA issue. President Obama has asked Congress to return in the next fews days to fix the problem.

“Congress needs to come back, resolve their differences, compromise, and put our friends and neighbors and colleagues back to work,” LaHood said. “They should not leave 74,000 people hanging out there, without jobs, without a paycheck, until September.”

Read more from Kenneth R. Bazinet at The Baz File

Dems Unleash Rhetorical Assault Over FAA Holdup

So much for toning things down.

Members of the Capitol Hill press corps, who attended today’s press conference held by Senate Democratic leaders to discuss the continuing standoff over funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, were treated not only to a round of words fired in the direction of House Republicans, but also to a heavy-handed critique of their work in covering the story.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that they’ve been misleading the public on exactly why Congress hasn’t been able to reach agreement on an extension of funding that officials say has taken up to 74,000 federal transportation workers and contractors off the job.

“For the media to say, ‘We’re ignoring the gun held to your head now, why don’t you give in to them and let the thing go?’ is just not fair,” he said.

Schumer was referring to the fact that Republicans adjorned for its August recess yesterday after having passed an extension measure that ends about $210 million worth of federal subsides to rural airports. Republicans have called on the Senate to pass their bill, arguing that the subsidies are unnecessary and should not be the reason that thousands of workers aren’t receiving pay right now.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) ruffled reporters’ feathers when he accused them of “falling for” the GOP’s claim that the fate of the FAA workers are solely in the hands of Democrats.

Reid and others noted that the GOP bill also includes a few rules changes that would impact union employees, which according to Democrats, is the reason they have been unable to sign off on the bill.

“The issue is labor,” Reid said. “This issue has nothing to do with essential services.”

Sen. John “Jay” Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, agreed, pointing out that Congress has voted 20 times since 2007 to reauthorize short-term funding.

When asked, however, why Democrats chose not to pass a long-term measure last year when they controlled the White House as well as both legislative branches, Rockefeller said he did not know.

Olympics exemplify rising Chinese influence

"Chinese athletes will begin to win their share of [Olympic] golds and Americans will begin to question our status on the planet", said Charles Freeman, an expert in China Studies at The Center for Strategic Studies (CSIS). He spoke at a discussion on US-China Space Cooperation.

Freeman also said that with the Beijing Olympics beginning this week, many are wondering how relations with with the US will change. He went on to say that he expects immense public anxiety in America during the Olympics due to the event's symbolic nature of China's rise to a global power that threatens US dominance.

Dorothy Reimold, Acting Assistant Administrator for International Aviation at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the United States needs to continue working closely with Chinese aviation officials to improve efficiency and capacity, especially with increased trade between the two nations. However, she also said that because 80 percent of Chinese air space is controlled by the military, the FAA also must consult with them. Reimold also said that progress in these two areas would be key for addressing growing environmental concerns in the region.

Congestion, a travel bug symptom

A hearing on “The Outlook for Summer Air Travel: Addressing Congestion and Delay” was held before the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee. The hearing focused on problems in the National Airspace System and the steps that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines are taking to address the issues.

Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) acknowledged that aviation improvements have been made but are insufficient as evidenced by the high number of flight cancellations and delays. Rockefeller said that America’s ‘antiquated air traffic system’ was the biggest threat and noted that even Mongolia is ahead in terms of air traffic. Rockefeller went on to emphasize that the commercial airline industry was about to collapse and America should invest in the air traffic system.

Hank Krakowski, Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization of the FAA, attributed the significant airline challenges to record oil prices, a slow economy and increased competition. Krakowski said that in 2007, the aviation industry experienced the second worst year for delays since 1995.

John M. Meenan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Air Transport Association (ATA), said that the airline industry was ‘being decimated’ by the current fuel price situation. Meenan noted that the ATA has forecasted losses of approximately $10 billion for U.S. airlines and already announced 30,000 job eliminations. Meenan noted that the ripple effect from possible congestion relief in the New York air traffic area would be significant throughout the country.

Reducing aviation emissions

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing on “Aviation and the Environment: Emissions” today. Dr. David Fahey, research physicist in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the three aspects of aviation operations that affect climate change are the burning of fossil fuels, the altitude at which aviation emissions are made, and the fact aviation increases cloudiness on or near flight tracks. He said aviation leads to warming of the climate, and that any assessment of aviation needs to have a scenario for what the future of aviation is. He suggested strengthening commitment to aviation science and regulation organizations, and sharing resources and efforts between them.

Daniel K. Elwell, assistant administrator for Aviation Policy, Planning, and Environment for the Federal Aviation Administration, said currently aviation accounts for less than three percent of total man made greenhouse gas emissions, and that fuel efficiency of aircrafts has improved. He discussed a five pillar plan for environmental stewardship, which included improving scientific understanding, accelerating air traffic improvements and efficiency, hastening progress in environmental developments, exploring alternative fuels, and looking at market based measures.

Dr. Gerald Dillingham, director of Physical Infrastructure Issues for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said increased flights and delays may offset decreases in emissions. He said NextGen, a plan consisting of new capabilities for air traffic management and communications, has potential to reduce emissions, but that the FAA should take NextGen from the planning stages to implementation. He said the next step for Congress should be to address the decline in funding for research and development for FAA and NextGen.

Ambassador John Bruton, head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States of America, said the European Union is not solely relying on emissions trading to reduce aviation emissions, but they are also improving technical designs, funding research, looking at alternative fuels, and improving air traffic management. He said the Clean Sky initiative has the largest budget of any European Union program. He hopes to work closely with the U.S. in upcoming stages, since this is a global problem that he wants to act on. He also discussed new legislation with plans to tax airlines flying into the European Union, where the funds will go to research or programs that might help alleviate emissions.