Posted on Jan 14, 2023
Aviation leaders call for more funds for the FAA after this week's system failure
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https://www.npr.org/2023/01/13/ [login to see] /aviation-leaders-call-for-better-faa-tech-funding-after-flight-computer-failure
In the wake of a crippling computer system failure this week, aviation industry leaders are calling on Congress and the White House to better support and fund the Federal Aviation Administration's efforts to modernize its outdated technology.
Aviation safety advocates and industry experts say there were warning signs long before Tuesday night's NOTAM system failure that led the FAA to impose about a 90-minute nationwide ground stop of all aircraft departures Wednesday morning, causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations that continued throughout the day.
NOTAMs, or Notices to Air Missions, are messages that alert pilots of potential hazards along their flight routes from the time they push back from the gate until they arrive at their destination.
"A NOTAM is is essentially a little message to a pilot to say, 'Hey, something is different about your flight today that you need to know about it,' " says Mark Zee, a former commercial airline pilot and air traffic controller who now lives in New Zealand.
In the wake of a crippling computer system failure this week, aviation industry leaders are calling on Congress and the White House to better support and fund the Federal Aviation Administration's efforts to modernize its outdated technology.
Aviation safety advocates and industry experts say there were warning signs long before Tuesday night's NOTAM system failure that led the FAA to impose about a 90-minute nationwide ground stop of all aircraft departures Wednesday morning, causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations that continued throughout the day.
NOTAMs, or Notices to Air Missions, are messages that alert pilots of potential hazards along their flight routes from the time they push back from the gate until they arrive at their destination.
"A NOTAM is is essentially a little message to a pilot to say, 'Hey, something is different about your flight today that you need to know about it,' " says Mark Zee, a former commercial airline pilot and air traffic controller who now lives in New Zealand.
Aviation leaders call for more funds for the FAA after this week's system failure
Posted from npr.org
Flying
Travel
Computers
Technology
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The FAA, I know, is doing the very best they can with what they have, but we need to stand behind the FAA," Bastian said. "We need to take them off the year-by-year funding that it seems like they go through that's quite often political negotiations, and realize the importance of having a strong aviation infrastructure."
Meanwhile, a group of 120 members of Congress are demanding answers from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the FAA about the system fiasco.
The lawmakers, led by new House Transportation Committee chairman Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, and Democrat Rick Larsen of Washington, the committee's minority leader, call the computer outage that forced the cancelation of more than 1,300 flights Wednesday, and delayed nearly 11,000 more, "completely unacceptable." They want Buttigieg and FAA officials to explain what caused the computer failure and what steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again."
..."The FAA, I know, is doing the very best they can with what they have, but we need to stand behind the FAA," Bastian said. "We need to take them off the year-by-year funding that it seems like they go through that's quite often political negotiations, and realize the importance of having a strong aviation infrastructure."
Meanwhile, a group of 120 members of Congress are demanding answers from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the FAA about the system fiasco.
The lawmakers, led by new House Transportation Committee chairman Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, and Democrat Rick Larsen of Washington, the committee's minority leader, call the computer outage that forced the cancelation of more than 1,300 flights Wednesday, and delayed nearly 11,000 more, "completely unacceptable." They want Buttigieg and FAA officials to explain what caused the computer failure and what steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again."
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