Several items of interest crossed my desk in recent weeks, all of them involving the FAA and its ongoing struggle with technology and funding. That the agency has difficulties identifying and implementing strategies embracing new hardware, software and procedures shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone whos been paying 288
Multiple Items
Several items of interest crossed my desk in recent weeks, all of them involving the FAA and its ongoing struggle with technology and funding. That the agency has difficulties identifying and implementing strategies embracing new hardware, software and procedures shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone whos been paying attention over the last few years. Yet, these news items point out the FAA doesnt seem to have learned anything from its past mistakes and is poised to make a few more.
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA's planned reliance on GPS for its NextGen system is challenged by widespread, ongoing GPS unreliability from DoD testing, raising concerns about the lack of backup navigation systems following the decommissioning of Loran-C.
- Funding for NextGen equipment upgrades is problematic, with Congress unlikely to provide broad financial assistance to airlines, leaving the industry—and especially general aviation—to bear the costs, despite some targeted FAA subsidies.
- The FAA's Airport and Airway Trust Fund faces declining revenues and low balances, prompting the author to suggest that taxing currently untaxed airline service fees could provide a vital source of replenishment.
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