Latest news with #AirTrafficOrganization
Bloomberg
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Newark's Blackout Was Just 90 Seconds of a Much Larger Crisis
Whatever overhaul Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announces this week to fix the dilapidated US air traffic control system, it must include a mechanism to streamline the Federal Aviation Administration's bureaucracy for rolling out new technology investments. The FAA's inability to move briskly to install modern equipment and software is at the heart of the Air Traffic Organization's problems. This fragility of air safety was exposed by the scary 90 seconds of aircraft flying blind around the Newark Liberty International Airport on April 28. Hiring more air traffic controllers is urgent and part of the solution, of course, but that doesn't address the root cause of the deficiencies.
CBS News
10-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
FAA's head of air traffic retiring early as agency replaces senior managers at Reagan National Airport
Tim Arel, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Organization, will retire early as part of the second round of buyouts at the Department of Transportation. Arel, who has been working at the agency for four decades, had planned to retire at the end of 2025 but will now depart in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition, the FAA told CBS News in a statement. As the chief operation officer of the Air Traffic Organization, Arel is responsible for ensuring the safety of air traffic services for approximately 50,000 aircraft operating every day. But in the wake of the deadly midair collision in January , a series of concerning close calls and a fist fight in the tower between employees, the FAA brought in a new management team to the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport, CBS News has confirmed. Three senior managers were replaced as part of this move. "We brought in a new DCA management team to ensure strong support for the workforce," the FAA said in a statement. "Their priorities will include: reviewing safety data trends while preventing/correcting drift, performance management and ensuring facility training is robust and consistently meets national standards." Sources told CBS News the change in management is broadly part of a series of changes the FAA announced last week at Reagan National Airport . As part of its response to the Jan. 29 midair collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people, the new measures included increasing the Operational Supervisor staffing from six to eight and increasing support for its air traffic controller team. The announcement also came days after a fight broke out between employees inside the air traffic control tower. Officers arrested 39-year-old Damon Gaines of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, according to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police. Gaines was not among the managers who were replaced, CBS News confirmed. In addition to serious safety concerns over the tower fight and the mid-air collision, two sources specifically mentioned the close call between a Delta Air Lines flight departing Reagan National and an Air Force jet at the end of March. Speaking at a Senate committee hearing last week on Boeing and air travel safety, Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee chair Sen. Ted Cruz criticized ATC over the incident. "The air traffic center that controls airspace around D.C. notified DCA about the flyover. That should have led to halted traffic," Cruz said. "This serious communication breakdown is just the latest in a string of missteps that signal the air traffic organization is under extreme stress." The FAA said it is investigating the incident.
Japan Times
09-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
U.S. FAA's top air traffic control official to step down from agency
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's top air traffic control official plans to leave the agency as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump prepares a major overhaul of the unit's antiquated technology systems. Tim Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, has accepted a buyout offer extended to personnel at many agencies and plans to depart after a transition period of a few months, the agency said in a statement. Arel joined the FAA as an air traffic controller in 1989 and had planned to retire by the end of the year, the agency said. The Trump administration is preparing what's been billed as a major overhaul of the systems used to manage some 45,000 U.S. flights that carry about 2.9 million passengers each day. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said he's working on a comprehensive plan that he's shared with Trump and soon intends to relay to lawmakers. Duffy has called on Congress to provide up-front funding for the effort. The U.S. Government Accountability Office warned in a December report that the FAA needed to take urgent action to update its systems, noting that a 2023 risk assessment found 76% were either unsustainable or potentially unsustainable. Upgrading outdated air traffic systems has gained additional attention in the wake of the January midair collision near Washington that killed 67 people, the worst U.S. civil aviation disaster in decades. Trump administration officials haven't said how many federal employees have accepted the government's latest round of buyout offers, which were sent to staff at several agencies. Transportation Department employees had until April 7 to accept the offer, which allowed workers to continue getting paid for months after leaving their role. The move was similar to the January "Fork in the Road' offer backed by Trump adviser and Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who is overseeing a push to cut government spending and reduce the size of the federal workforce.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Air traffic chief retires early as FAA replaces senior managers at DCA
Tim Arel, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Organization, will retire early as part of the second round of buyouts at the Department of Transportation. Arel, who has been working at the agency for four decades, had planned to retire at the end of 2025 but will now depart in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition, the FAA told CBS News in a statement. As the chief operation officer of the Air Traffic Organization, Arel is responsible for ensuring the safety of air traffic services for approximately 50,000 aircraft operating every day. But in the wake of the deadly midair collision in January, a series of concerning close calls and a fist fight in the tower between employees, the FAA brought in a new management team to the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport, CBS News has confirmed. Three senior managers were replaced as part of this move. "We brought in a new DCA management team to ensure strong support for the workforce," the FAA said in a statement. "Their priorities will include: reviewing safety data trends while preventing/correcting drift, performance management and ensuring facility training is robust and consistently meets national standards." Last week, the FAA announced a series of changes for Reagan National Airport, including increasing the Operational Supervisor staffing from six to eight and increasing support for its air traffic controller team as part of its response to the Jan. 29 midair collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. The new safety measures came days after a fight broke out between employees inside the air traffic control tower. Officers arrested 39-year-old Damon Gaines of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, according to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police. Gaines was not among the managers who were replaced, CBS News confirmed. In addition to serious safety concerns over the tower fight and the mid-air collision, two sources specifically mentioned the close call between a Delta Air Lines flight departing Reagan National and an Air Force jet at the end of March. The FAA said it is investigating the incident. Supreme Court pauses order mandating return of Maryland man deported to El Salvador Watch: White House hit with several questions about tariffs at press briefing Trump administration fires top U.S. admiral at NATO
