Safety at risk without air traffic system reform, Transportation chief says

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao defended President Donald Trump’s plan to remove air-traffic operations from the government Wednesday, saying the system could no longer handle growth and “still maintain safety.”

Facing skeptical senators on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Chao said in testimony prepared for a hearing of the panel Wednesday that a non-profit corporation would be better suited to overseeing the adoption of the new technology needed to keep traffic flowing.

“Our skies are becoming increasingly congested. Flight delays and time wasted on the tarmac waiting for clearance are the new normal,” she said. “Our air traffic organization must be more nimble.”

The president on Monday opened a week-long series of events to promote his plan to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure with a lavish signing ceremony for a plan to turn over the Federal Aviation Administration’s air-traffic system to a nonprofit, delivering a stinging assessment of the agency’s operations.

While Trump said the FAA had wasted billions of dollars on new equipment and promised more direct and efficient flights under a revamped system, Chao’s comments Wednesday were the first to say the agency would no longer be able to keep flights safe in the future. As skies become more congested, that requires more delays and indirect flight routes, Chao said.

“What this means is that we do not have a system that can handle increasing capacity and still maintain safety,” she said.

Chao did not provide specifics in her testimony. Aviation accidents attributed to air-traffic errors or system failures are rare, according to National Transportation Safety Board records. There hasn’t been a fatal airline crash in the U.S. attributed to any such issues in more than a decade, according to NTSB.

Advocates of separating air traffic from FAA believe it will enhance safety by creating a more arm’s length distance between the regulator and the operator, D J Gribbin, a special assistant to the president, told reporters Monday as the plan was unveiled. Under the proposal, the FAA would continue to regulate and monitor the new air-traffic corporation.

A similar plan to remove air traffic operations from the FAA didn’t get traction in Congress last year and was never voted on. Trump’s proposal is based largely on that legislation, introduced by Rep. Bill Shuster, the Pennsylvania Republican who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Shuster plans to reintroduce the measure by the end of the month, he said in an interview.

The proposal has been endorsed by most airlines, including American Airlines Group Inc. and Southwest Airlines. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union has said it is open to the idea. Airlines argue that a corporation would be better able to introduce new technology and its funding, based on new user fees for aircraft, would be more stable than Congress’ budget process.

“We’re all in, and very supportive,” JetBlue Airways Corp. Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes said in an interview Sunday. “Any opportunity for the system to work better is something that our customers are going to benefit from.”

However, a coalition of groups including private-aircraft manufacturers and operators, as well as other FAA unions, oppose the idea. Joined by most Democratic lawmakers, they say that a new air-traffic organization isn’t necessary because flight delays have declined in recent years and the new corporation would give airlines too much power.

Sen. John Thune, the South Dakota Republican who is chairman of the commerce committee, said Tuesday he doesn’t believe there are enough votes to win Senate approval unless Trump can convince some of those opponents.

The measure also faces high hurdles in the House. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, the Florida Republican who oversees the Appropriations Committee panel that oversees FAA’s budget, told reporters Tuesday passage in that chamber is “highly unlikely.” He called it a flawed plan that would give too much control to airlines.

In other testimony, Chao asked Senators to support an administration proposal to give the government more authority to detect, track and disable drones it considers a security threat. Administration agencies drafted legislation and presented it to Senate and House Armed Services Committees, she said.

“Drones present unique security challenges,” she said. The FAA also is working with the Justice, Homeland Security and Defense departments on better ways to identify and track drones as part of its effort to craft regulations allowing small unmanned craft to fly closer to people.