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December 1, 2008 8:23:04 AM CST

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Antiquated FAA in a Tailspin

Posted Sep 2, 07 10:24 AM CDT in US 

(Newser) – With canceled flights, hours on the tarmac, overbooking and a disturbing increase in near  collisions, one might be better off traveling by pony than plane, reports Business Week, and the authority responsible seems least able to fix it. As FAA chief Marion Blakey steps down, she leaves an antiquated agency mired in a struggle to get its Next Generation Air Travel System airborne.

Although the FAA last week awarded a $1 billion contract for NextGen’s first phase, it doesn’t expect to have the system—which would utilize satellite technology, relieve congestion and revamp outdated flight paths—to be functional until 2025. When you're "flying at 30,000 feet you're counting on the system—a system that is at breaking point," warned Blakey.

Source BusinessWeek

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Marion Blakey took over a crumbling FAA in 2002, determined to turn it around. As she prepares to step down in September, even she terms the system "at the breaking point."   (Getty Images)
As air traffic gets more crowded, service gets worse and worse, from late flights to near-collisions.   (Shutterstock.com)
Air passengers have at times spent hours sitting on the tarmac due to inclement weather or over-scheduled flights. (AP Photo/Lou Martins, file)   (Associated Press)
(FILES)This 02 June, 2007 photo shows a   (Getty Images)
Aviation Industry Leaders Attend Summit In Washington   (Getty Images)
One of the big reasons flying is so miserable is because airlines schedule more flights at desirable times than airports can handle%u2014much as they sell seats to more passengers than their planes can...   (Getty Images)
Aviation Industry Leaders Attend Summit In Washington   (Getty Images)
U.S. Federal Aviation Administrator Marion C. Blakey, applauds the presentation by Indian Civil Aviation Minister, Praful patel, unseen during the U.S. -India Aviation Partnership Summit in New Delhi,...   (Associated Press)
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FAA Introduces GPS For Airlines   (weshtv (YouTube))

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airline industry • air travel • FAA • flight • Marion C. Blakey • NextGen


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