Latest news with #Rocheleau
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FAA says Newark airport's technology problems should be resolved by October
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday he's 'confident' the technology issues at troubled Newark Liberty International Airport will be resolved by October. 'The (transportation) secretary has been very clear with me that we need to fix this, and we're fixing this now,' Chris Rocheleau, the acting head of the FAA, told a House budget hearing Wednesday. 'The second piece to that is the staffing. I think by October, we will be very healthy in there at staffing levels that we need.' The FAA transferred air traffic control over Newark to a Philadelphia facility last July from New York, where it was previously located, a move seen as controversial by many controllers and the union that represents them. Rocheleau's remarks, before the House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, come after the New Jersey airport experienced four air traffic control system outages in recent weeks, leaving pilots and controllers without communication at times. Those outages came amid ongoing staffing shortages for controllers and the construction of a runway, which was completed this week, earlier than anticipated. 'With the runway completed, we'll continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improving the staffing pipeline for the airspace,' said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement. The aging infrastructure and technology are some of the problems that could plague summer travel as Newark's airport tries to get back to flying at full capacity. Experts warn to typically expect disruptions during summer travel due to the volume of travelers at US airports, but the added pressure on the system could cause delays or cancelations. Last month, the Department of Transportation announced plans to build out a new air traffic control system. Part of that includes strengthening the existing infrastructure at Newark for a seamless summer of travel. A new fiber optic cable is now in place between Philadelphia and New York to improve air traffic control telecommunications. The FAA is seeking a company to build out the new system, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday. The agency issued a Request for Information for a company to implement a 'brand new air traffic control system over the next three years.' It identified five areas of interest for a new system: telecommunications, radio communications, surveillance, automation and facilities. Duffy has not disclosed how much the project would cost but has said he's counting on Congress to deliver funding. It's also unclear how this will impact Verizon's contract with the FAA to modernize the system. Verizon has a $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. CNN reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.
Newsweek
a day ago
- General
- Newsweek
FAA Has No Idea How Many Drones Are Flying Over US, Says Chief
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acting administrator Chris Rocheleau told a House hearing that the agency did not know how many drones were operating over U.S. airspace at any given period. Rocheleau was asked if it was even possible for the FAA to track the number of drones in American airspace, during his testimony at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, on Wednesday. "I don't believe I would know — the FAA would know — every single drone in the sky today," Rocheleau said. This is a breaking news story, updates to follow.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
US Army helicopter flights at Pentagon remain suspended after close call
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Army helicopter flights around the Pentagon remain suspended after two passenger airline flights were forced to abort landings on May 1 at Reagan Washington National Airport because of a nearby Black Hawk helicopter, the acting head of the Federal Aviation Adminstraton said Wednesday. Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told a U.S. House hearing that the agency had barred the Army from training or priority transport flights as it revisits the agency's letter of authorization with the military. "They are not flying right now," Rocheleau said. "We've shut those down until such time as we're comfortable with kind of what we call new rules of the road."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New fiber optic cable in place to fix communications problems plaguing flights to Newark, DOT says
A new fiber optic cable is now in place between Philadelphia and New York to improve air traffic control telecommunications at the facility that handles flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport, following a busy Memorial Day weekend, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday. 'That was the troubled portion of the line that's been laid,' Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said at a press conference. 'We're doing some of the connections right now, and then we have to test it. I don't want to over promise and under deliver.' Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is using 'an abundance of caution' with testing and hopes the fiber line will be in use by the start of July. Air traffic controllers in Philadelphia have repeatedly lost contact with Newark flights, including on April 28, when the existing cable failed, silencing radios for 30 seconds and blanking radar scopes for 90 seconds. Three more outages have occurred since then, CNN previously reported. The improvements come after the system survived a busy travel holiday. Less than 1% of flights were canceled throughout the US air travel system over the holiday period and less than 3% of flights were delayed, Acting Administrator of the FAA Chris Rocheleau said. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3 million people across the country on Friday at the start of the Memorial Day weekend. More than 2 million were screened on each of the other days. United Airlines reported the busiest Memorial Day weekend ever, with 553,000 people traveling worldwide each day. At the airline's key Newark hub, no departures were canceled on either Sunday or Monday, United said. Rocheleau added the agency will continue to work with the airlines and airport to slow traffic at Newark to ensure safety and avoid delays. Last week the FAA cut 25% of the flights there to help with congestion from understaffing and runway construction, as well as the aging air traffic control infrastructure and technology. 'We will continue to work with the airlines, with the airports to make sure that as we manage traffic, we do so safely and efficiently throughout the system,' Rocheleau said. Duffy is asking Congress to support a plan for a brand-new air traffic control system but has not put a price tag on it. He noted Wednesday that it will be higher than the $12.5 billion in a House bill currently being considered. 'It's a substantial piece of work and will take a substantial amount of money,' Duffy said.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airline CEOs pen open letter to Congress urging industry overhaul
(NewsNation) — Airline officials Wednesday penned an open letter to Congress in which they wrote that the U.S.' 'wildly outdated' air traffic control system is 'failing Americans.' The letter comes in the wake of a Federal Aviation Administration interim order that cuts back on the number of flights into and out of New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. The move stems from staffing and equipment issues that have caused mass delays at the airport. Feds vow to overhaul US air traffic control system while fixing problems at troubled Newark airport Air traffic controller shortages and equipment failures, which have plagued the industry in recent years, are two of the issues cited in Wednesday's letter by the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Atlas Air, along with leaders at FedEx and UPS. 'Air traffic controllers should not be operating with corroded copper wiring, floppy disks and physical strips of paper with flight numbers,' reads the letter, which was posted on the Airlines for America website. The letter points out that the FAA's own Safety Review Team found in 2023 that a national air controller shortage and inefficient operations are 'eroding the margins of safety.' While air travel remains the safest mode of transportation, the CEOs argue that it must remain that way. Aviation experts say air safety issues are years in the making To ensure the status quo, 'serious upgrades need to happen now,' they wrote. Airline officials' stance mirrors that of acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. 'Commercial airline travel remains the safest form of transportation in world history,' Rocheleau said in a statement. 'But the last three months drove home that we need to do more, we need to be better, and we need to do it together.' Transportation chief to call for overhaul of US air traffic control system Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan earlier this month for the federal government to make comprehensive investments in the U.S. national airspace. The CEOs' letter urges Congress to do the same by providing the resources to 'turn the plan into reality.' According to the document, 92% of the FAA's facilities and equipment budget currently goes toward maintaining the outdated technology. A new system would be more cost-effective in the long run. 'As the Secretary himself has said, it's like continuing to pour money into an old clunker of a car — at some point, it makes more financial sense to buy a new car,' the letter states. 'We're past that point.' Newark problems and recent crashes put focus on air traffic controller shortage and aging equipment A new system would also help solve the staffing shortage, the airline officials argue. 'Improving technology is critical to recruiting the air traffic controllers of the future,' the letter states. 'Our controllers are doing an amazing job under stressful working conditions. They do not need the added stress of potential technology failures.' Congress is currently hashing out details of the budget for the new fiscal year. The House Budget Committee's version of the bill includes just over $12 billion for the FAA technology upgrade. The CEOs described the allocation as 'a solid down payment that will help keep air travel safe and efficient for Americans who fly and ship goods every day.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
