The U.S. Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee has organized a very important hearing to review the disastrous effects of government shutdowns on the aviation sector. The key issue that emerges is the fact that the recent government shutdown led the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce flight traffic at large airports across America and other nations by a massive 10 percent. The very important hearing is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, the 19th of November, at 2:30 pm EST.
Senate panel tackles aviation safety issues after government shutdowns
The upcoming hearing will also take a specific look at the government shutdown and its implications for air traffic control and training programs. The Federal Aviation Administration reduced air traffic at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports by 10 percent due to the government shutdown. This reduction came as a direct effect of the government shutdown and brought disruptions to the aviation world through reduced flight capacity.
“The government shutdown has hit the already beleaguered aviation industry very hard, and it will take a good deal of time to recover from the aftermath of that,” Senator Moran added.The hearing will also cover issues related to the management of the national airspace, such as the radar failures occurring at Newark International Airport and the shortage of air traffic controllers that has been exacerbated by the government shutdown.
The key persons expected to testify are industry leaders:
Testimony will be presented by Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association; Chris Sununu, the former governor of New Hampshire, the representative of Airlines for America; and Jim Viola of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
The aviation industry faces compounding challenges from shutdown effects
The hearing will examine the way that the government shutdown has contributed to the pre-existing problems that exist within the air traffic control system, such as those brought into light after the airborne collision that left 67 people dead above the national capital of the United States, the District of Washington, back in January of this year. These issues are believed to be a direct result of the “Schumer Shutdown” that left thousands of these individuals working without pay.
“Senate Democrats have forced the Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to cut back the number of flights because the data that the FAA is using is ‘blinking red,’” Senator Cruz added.Hundreds of thousandsof Americans did not get to fly because of these disruptions and cancellations, and the workers of the aviation industry suffered economically through evictions while still serving the essential role of ensuring aviation safety.
The longer-term implications call for a joint response from Congress
This hearing and discussion of the issues related to the workload and its implications for the safety of passengers and the future of the airline and general aviation industries will be held at the Russell Senate Office Building, Room 253. The hearing will also be livestreamed through the Committee’s website and YouTube channel. The Congress must then address the workload and its implications and work towards alleviating the effect it is having on the work of the air traffic controllers and the staff of the TSA, while ensuring the safety of passengers and the future of the airline and general aviation industries.
The Senate hearing represents a thorough examination of the dangers that are caused by government shutdowns to the aviation community and the operations that take place within the United States. These issues are believed to be a direct result of the “Schumer Shutdown” that left thousands of these individuals working without pay. Consequently, the government shutdowns have significantly impacted a large population of people within the aviation sector, and millions of passengers are also experiencing the effects.
