Washington Wire: GAO Rules Newark Airport Slot Auctions Unlawful

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Government Accountability Office—the investigative arm of Congress—are at loggerheads over whether FAA has the legal right to auction slots at Newark Liberty International Airport, a dispute that may have wider ramifications for plans to ease congestion at New York City's three airports. GAO said last month that FAA "may not auction slots," disrupting the first bidding for a takeoff and landing slot at Newark. FAA had no "legal basis" to conduct the audits, GAO said. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the region's airports, is siding with GAO. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters had planned to auction as many 208 flights at the three airports before President George W. Bush leaves office. Several airlines have urged GAO to intervene. The Air Transport Association, the Washington lobbying group representing the industry's biggest carriers, also has opposed the auctions. "ATA and the airlines applaud the clear and decisive opinion rendered by the GAO, which affirms what we have said all along– that the DOT slot auction is unlawful. We urge FAA to focus on increasing capacity and redesigning airspace to make progress in reducing delays," said ATA president and CEO James May.

Amtrak Funding More Than Doubles To $2.5 Billion
Congress approved, and President George W. Bush agreed to sign, legislation that more than doubles funding for Amtrak, ending a year-long standoff following the president's proposal to slash funds. The Senate Oct. 1 voted 74-24 to approve a broader five-year, $13 billion rail transportation bill that authorizes $2.5 billion annually for the passenger rail carrier. It was the first long-term spending bill for Amtrak since 2002. Bush withdrew an earlier threat to veto the legislation, saying he was pleased with improvements for rail safety required in the bill, such as tougher training standards, setting limits on work hours for rail employees and creating safety officers to monitor the railroad in the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), an Amtrak proponent, said the law would "substantially change our federal policy toward passenger rail travel.'' Amtrak carried more passengers in July than in any single month before. Ridership was up 15 percent. "Americans are shifting from driving to riding transit, commuter rail and passenger trains at record levels," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said.

FAA Helps Install Runway Incursion Avoidance Tech
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced three airlines are installing new safety equipment designed to reduce near-collisions on airport runways. US Airways, Southwest Airlines and regional carrier SkyWest Airlines will receive $600,000 toward the cost of so-called "electronic flight bags" that show pilots their exact locations of runways to navigate unfamiliar airports at night and in poor weather. Each airline is expected to install the technology in 20 airplanes by May 2009. The program is a response in part to an August 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, Ky., that killed 49 people after a pilot chose a runway that was too short to allow him to take off safely. FAA said the technology would have prevented 44 percent of recent runway incursions.