Latest news with #Arel
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.
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
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top FAA air traffic control official stepping down
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The head of the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic organization is stepping down after 40 years of federal government service, an agency spokesperson said on Tuesday. Tim Arel, who is chief operating officer of the FAA Air Traffic Organization, is taking part in the U.S. Transportation Department's voluntary deferred retirement program, the spokesperson said. "He has committed to stay for the next few months to ensure a smooth transition," according to the spokesperson, who said he had originally planned to retire by the end of 2025. His departure comes as lawmakers have been examining why the agency did not address concerns about close calls between helicopters and airplanes near Reagan Washington National Airport before a January 29 fatal collision between an American Airlines regional jet and Army helicopter that killed 67 people. Arel did not respond to an email seeking comment. Separately, the FAA said it has installed a new management team to oversee air traffic control at Reagan National, confirming a Washington Post report. The FAA brought in a new management team at Reagan "to ensure strong support for the workforce" and added priorities include reviewing safety data trends, performance management "and ensuring facility training is robust and consistently meets national standards," the agency said. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and a series of near-miss incidents has raised concerns in recent years. A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. "There is no question that we are seeing too many close calls," Arel told employees in 2023. Senators last month pressed the FAA for failing to act on thousands of reports of helicopters in dangerous proximity to airplanes near Reagan. Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau acknowledged the data was troubling and said "clearly something was missed." In March, the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic around the airport, which has the single busiest runway in the United States. The FAA has mandated a halt to air traffic when essential helicopters are operating near Reagan. Last week, the FAA said it may slow flight arrivals at Reagan after the collision. It is also increasing operational supervisor staffing from six to eight and an FAA stress management team will visit the airport offering confidential support for staff. The FAA is reviewing the airport's "arrival rate of aircraft per hour, which is disproportionately concentrated within the last 30 minutes of each hour." On March 28, a near-miss between a departing Delta Air Lines A319 and a group of Air Force jets approaching Arlington National Cemetery triggered a cockpit collision warning for the Delta plane, leading to renewed safety concerns. Also last month, a fight occurred in the Reagan air traffic control tower and an employee was arrested and placed on leave, the FAA said.
