By Philip Newman
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has predicted worsening air traffic jams climaxing in “total gridlock” at New York City airports and accused the Federal Aviation Administration of driving away air controllers through a “culture of fear.”
Schumer also rejected the FAA plan to auction off airline slots as a bad idea and vowed to fight it.
“In New York, where you count fully certified controllers only, excluding trainees, the John F. Kennedy airport tower is only 60 percent staffed with 22 fulltime controllers when it should have 37,” Schumer said.
LaGuardia is only 60 percent staffed and Newark only 67 percent staffed,” Schumer said. “The FAA will give you higher staffing numbers but that's because their numbers are doctored to include trainees who cannot staff a position without supervision.”
“The bottom line is that at the current pace and under the current plan, within the next five years the New York City airspace will be in total gridlock,” Schumer said. “The wave of controller retirements and the FAA's inability and unwillingness to upgrade antiquated technology will simply cause a meltdown in New York and across the country.”
“Nationally, the culture of fear created by the FAA has led to 3,300 controllers to leave the work force since 2005 with 15,500 more expected between 2008 and 2017,” Schumer said.
“In just six months from October of 2007 through March of 2008 nearly 1,000 controllers left the workforce – half of them to retire. And of the FAA's 1,800 new hires in the fiscal year 2007, only 150 of them have been fully certified.”
Schumer also attacked the FAA's plan to auction off airline slots as a way of relieving congestion at airports.
“This will in no way cut down congestion in New York's air space,” Schumer said. “Instead, this plan could limit consumer choices and have a dire impact on service to small communities.And I will act quickly to prevent this plan from being implemented.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also testified against the slots auction.
Port Authority Aviation Director William DeCota said the auction plan does not address the underlying issues of delays and congestion.
“The administration has chosen to impose an approach that we, as the airport operator, think is not only illegal but also disastrous,” De Cota said. “Auctions are not the solution.”
Meanwhile, Schumer and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) jointly announced $6,499,876 in federal funding for LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports.
JFK will get two grants totaling $4,239,876 to extend Taxiway FB. A grant of $1,700,000 will pay for noise abatement for nearby public buildings. La Guardia Airport will get $2,260,000 for security improvements.
