FAA

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Planes Sent Toward Storms to Test Air Traffic Controller

FAA investigates Fla. incident in which 4 jets sent miles off course

(Newser) - The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which four Orlando-bound passenger jets were rerouted on Saturday in an effort to train a new air traffic controller. The Daily Mail reports the jets were directed into an area where thunderstorms were raging and that one, a Virgin Atlantic plane,...

Sleepy Pilots Want Trimmed Schedules
Sleepy Pilots Want Trimmed Schedules

Sleepy Pilots Want Trimmed Schedules

Penny-pinching means more flying, on FAA rules dating from '60s

(Newser) - Airline pilots are seeing their flying hours approach the federally mandated limit, and many of them have had enough, the Wall Street Journal reports. Safety experts agree that the current regulations, in place since the 1960s, don't reflect current knowledge about the dangers of fatigue. But penny-pinching airlines keep pushing...

Canadian Airline Loses Life Vests to Save Fuel

Move saves 55 lbs. per flight for carrier that stays near shore

(Newser) - An Air Canada regional airline is removing life vests from its fleet to reduce weight and increase fuel economy, the AP reports. Citing Canada’s regulations, which do not require life vests on flights that stay within 50 miles of shore, Jazz advises passengers to use their seat cushions as...

FAA Delays: Same Problem, No Solutions
FAA Delays:
Same Problem, No Solutions
ANALYSIS

FAA Delays: Same Problem, No Solutions

Agency learned little—if that—from previous, too-similar failures

(Newser) - A software glitch that left thousands of passengers delayed or stranded at US airports yesterday is becoming a familiar problem with the Federal Aviation Administration, Kevin Kelleher writes in Portfolio. Pretty much the same thing—a cascade of overloaded servers—happened last week, and last year. "With 20-20 hindsight,...

FAA Glitch Causes Widespread Flight Delays
FAA Glitch Causes Widespread Flight Delays
updated

FAA Glitch Causes Widespread Flight Delays

(Newser) - A computer glitch in an FAA computer system caused flight delays around the country today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The situation appeared to be easing this evening as airports—Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston were hardest hit—got back on track. The snag hit one of two FAA facilities that...

American Airlines Faces $7M Fine for Safety Violations

(Newser) - American Airlines faces FAA fines of more than $7 million for a series of safety and maintenance violations and for deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing, the Wall Street Journal reports. In proposing one of its biggest fines ever, the FAA accuses American of knowingly flying planes that needed...

Rich Grouse as FAA Moves to Reroute Jets

Residents of tony suburbs fight plan to decongest air traffic

(Newser) - Wealthy Northeasterners are fighting FAA plans to decongest air traffic by rerouting jets, sending them over many upscale suburbs, reports USA Today. The FAA says it can cut delays by 20% and save airlines $285 million by fixing routes around New York and Philadelphia, but the rich and politically connected...

New Engine Could Rev Green Flight

Less fuel, emissions, and noise

(Newser) - In what is being hailed as the most exciting development in commercial aviation technology in years, Pratt & Whitney has developed a revolutionary jet engine that burns up to 15% less fuel and cuts carbon emissions by 1,500 tons per plane per year. The engine, which is also quieter...

Will Fewer Flights Mean Fewer Delays?

Sorry, says FAA: don't expect airlines to cut on crowded routes

(Newser) - With fuel prices soaring into the skies, fewer airplanes will be following suit, but don't think that translates to less time on the tarmac. Airlines' cutbacks will ground planes, but mostly on less-traveled routes to smaller cities, the New York Times reports. The congestion at LAX and JFK isn't likely...

FAA Questions American's Lightning Safety

Mechanics grumble after airline stops inspections

(Newser) - The FAA is questioning American Airlines' new policy on lightning inspections, and its opener is: Why doesn’t American do them anymore? American recently forbade its mechanics from doing extensive lightning damage checks unless pilots suspected a strike, a move designed to reduce delays and cancellations. Big airlines are typically...

American Airlines Report Roasts FAA

Airline blames policy switch for thousands of canceled flights

(Newser) - American Airlines blames the FAA for its recent grounding of thousands of flights, the Wall Street Journal reports. The airline is set to deliver a report today that says 3,300 flights were canceled because FAA headquarters reversed a "handshake deal" the airline had with regional aviation officials that...

Air Safety Experts Most Worried About Runways

Ground incidents increase over last six months

(Newser) - FAA-mandated wiring fixes have grounded thousands of flights lately, but the runway is no safe place for planes, New York Times reports. Serious runway incidents nearly doubled to 15 over the past six months, compared with the same period a year ago. “Where we are most vulnerable at this...

Airline Blames Feds for Grounded Planes

Safety guidelines unclear and unfair, company says

(Newser) - American Airlines is tired of taking the heat for 2,000 flight cancellations that travelers endured last week, the New York Times reports. The once-contrite company is now criticizing the FAA, saying its new safety guidelines are unclear and unfair. “We don’t know what the rules are,”...

Washington Vows Better Airline Safety

Teamsters prez blasts plan as 'window dressing'

(Newser) - Today Washington vowed to beef up airplane inspections and demanded to know why American Airlines stranded 250,000 travelers last week, the AP reports. "No one at all was well served by what happened," US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. But she defended federal regulators, saying they did...

American Airlines Cleared to Fly Again

All but 3 jets are flying today and schedule will resume tomorrow

(Newser) - Federal officials cleared American Airlines today to resume flying all but three of its grounded MD-80 jets, the AP reports. American wanted to run a full schedule today, but "we still need to get the planes positioned for their next flights," a company spokesman said. The full fleet...

American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying
American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying

American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying

Will cancel another 200, but aims to be on track in 24 hours

(Newser) - American Airlines flew about half of its MD-80s on schedule today but will ground another 200 for inspections tomorrow morning, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Execs said that all planes should be back on track by tomorrow night. CEO Gerard Arpey accepted blame for the groundings that have canceled 3,...

American Airlines Cancels 570 Flights for Tomorrow

Company says it expects to be back in full operation by Saturday

(Newser) - American Airlines plans to cancel another 570 flights tomorrow, providing little relief for passengers in a jam after three consecutive days of massive snarls, the AP reports. The airline, however, said it was making progress getting wiring up to snuff on its MD-80s and planned to have the entire fleet...

Key Inspector Says FAA Crackdown Long Overdue

Agency's renewed inspection efforts long overdue, sweeping changes needed

(Newser) - The Federal Aviation Administration is too lax, and its recent toughening-up long overdue, the Transportation Department’s inspector general Calvin Scovel told senators today. The agency should not rely, as it has until recently, on airlines to voluntarily disclose safety oversights, and shouldn’t provide loopholes for the appropriate penalties...

Flight Chaos to Continue as FAA Gets Tough

Crackdown will continue through June 30

(Newser) - Air travelers should brace themselves for several more months of chaos: the wave of FAA audits that began March 30, producing more than 2,000 canceled flights this week, will continue through June 30. In an effort to toughen enforcement of safety standards, the agency has moved to relying less...

American to Cancel 900 More Flights Today

Continued passenger misery ahead as safety work continues

(Newser) - American Airlines expects to cancel 900 more flights today as the airline works to bring its MD-80 aircraft up to FAA standards, the New York Times reports. Thousands more travelers will be stranded at airport hubs, and the problem could spill into tomorrow. American is just the latest airline to...

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