Tag Archives for air traffic control.
Flight delays are spreading across the country as the government shutdown drags on — and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is issuing a warning that echoes 1981: air traffic controllers who don’t show up for work could lose their jobs.
At Los Angeles International, an American Airlines A321 accelerating for takeoff at 160 mph was forced into a full-stop reject when a Boeing 777 freighter crossed the runway without clearance.
Two regional jets lined up for the same Greensboro runway ended up just 300 feet apart, triggering alarms and a desperate breakout maneuver. The close call raises serious questions about why controllers tried to push the airport like it was LaGuardia.
Russia’s rocket firings inside U.S.-controlled Pacific airspace forced transpacific flights, including FedEx and UPS cargo jets, to detour hundreds of miles off course.
Spirit Airlines flight 1300 from Fort Lauderdale to Boston was traveling through New York airspace and beginning descent on Tuesday when it encounterd Air Force One about 8 miles off and became non-responsive to air traffic control. “I’m sure you can see who it is,” the controller warned.
Probably the best observation here is “For the first time in my life, I see a purpose for the word ‘lavatory.’”
There’s something to rethinking how air traffic control works entirely in a digital world. But if we’re realistic, and can only expect incremental improvement, surely this is one we can accomplish?
The tower controller mistakenly issued takeoff clearance to American Eagle flight AA4736. Communication was further complicated by a Spirit Airlines pilot inadvertently blocking transmissions. As American 4736 accelerated down the runway, tower controllers received an automated collision alert and attempted to retract the takeoff clearance.
The Trump administration wants to fix air traffic control by throwing an indeterminate amount of money at upgrading aging technology. Their plan takes the approach laid out in the opening to The Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Galaxy.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – who has supported an unqualified nominee to run the FAA and blocked air traffic control staffing fixes – is taking on the Trump administration’s nominee to run the FAA. Bryan Bedford, the CEO of Republic Airways, has a long and distinguished career in aviation management – but he sought to have the FAA declared structured pilot training equivalent to mindless hours and this is anathema to the big pilot union.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
