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Bush Sets Deadlines for NextGen Implementation

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Key Takeaways:

  • President Bush issued an executive order for the NextGen air transportation system, setting implementation deadlines that predate the incoming Obama administration's inauguration, a move perceived as a challenge.
  • The order mandates the establishment of a DOT support staff and an advisory committee with specific timelines.
  • Pilots and aircraft owners have expressed concerns about the potentially high costs and impracticality of NextGen equipment requirements.
  • The incoming Obama administration retains the authority to review, rescind, or replace President Bush's executive order.
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In what is seen as a challenge to the incoming Obama administration, President Bush issued an executive order on November 18 dictating “effective implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System [NextGen].” The first deadline for establishing a DOT support staff is set for no more than 60 days after the order, or by January 17. President-elect Obama’s inauguration is January 20. The first of Bush’s deadlines is followed up with a next phase, set for 120 days later, dictating the establishment of an advisory committee to the Secretary of Transportation. Pilots and aircraft owners are concerned that equipment requirements for NextGen could be excessively expensive and might not adequately consider some pilots’ real-world needs. Though President Bush has put forward the order, the Obama administration retains the right to review such administrative orders and has the right to rescind or replace such orders at its discretion.

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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