Washington Wire: Dems' Congressional Plans; Runway Safety; Transatlantic Service Approved
Congressional Democrats Plan Some Travel Industry Policy Reversals
The Democrats' victory in last month's elections likely will boost the fortunes of Amtrak and small, regional airports. It may imperil the Bush administration's desires to expand an Open Skies treaty with the European Union by allowing more direct foreign investment in U.S. airlines and pose a barrier to US Airways' efforts to obtain Delta Air Lines.
Minnesota Democrat James Oberstar, a 32-year veteran of Congress, is poised to take control of the House Transportation Committee in January, when Democrats take control of Congress for the first time since 1994.
He wasted little time in the days after the Nov. 7 election setting his agenda, telling reporters one week later that "there's bipartisan opposition" to the Department of Transportation's efforts to implement a new rule allowing foreigners to gain more control over business decisions of U.S. airlines. Oberstar is backed by labor unions, which oppose the rule change, which was delayed by the Transportation Department in August at the behest of the Republican-controlled Congress.
Oberstar also said he supports taxes rather than user fees to pay for the air-traffic control services, a setback for the industry which wants the system changed so that those that use more airspace pay more. He also last month raised anti-trust concerns about US Airways' bid for Delta, suggesting it would reduce competition on the East Coast.
Oberstar wants to boost funds for smaller airports and is seen as a major proponent of Amtrak, which in recent years has faced budget cuts under President George W. Bush.
Oberstar told the Associated Press that Amtrak is "a critical part of our national transportation mosaic" that "has been desperately under-funded for the purposes for which it was intended." He said he envisions Amtrak becoming a high-speed rail system such as those in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, and China, and advocated running trains between Washington, D.C., and Boston at 125 miles per hour.
In the Senate, the gavel of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee likely will fall to Democrat Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. Inouye isn't expected to represent a significant departure from current chairman Ted Stevens of Alaska, as both represent states outside of the continental United States, which have their own demands. The two senators long have worked closely together, analysts said, particularly on earmarks.
NTSB Faults FAA On Runway Safety
The National Transportation Safety Board said the Federal Aviation Administration isn't moving swiftly enough to prevent collisions on airport runways, citing an incident earlier this year in Chicago during which two jets came within 35 feet of each other.
NTSB said special systems designed to prevent accidents should be immediately installed at 433 airports to warn pilots if they get too close to another airplane, and called FAA response to the suggestion "unacceptable." The board kept the recommendation on its list of most urgently needed safety improvements for a sixth year.
FAA reported 330 incidents where airplanes came too close to each other on runways in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30. That was up from 327 during the previous 12 months..
"It just seems like it's a time bomb ticking," board member Deborah Hersman said at a hearing in Washington Nov. 14.
A disaster was averted July 23 when a United Airlines pilot controlling a Boeing 737 had to pull up on the controls to avoid hitting a Boeing 747 owned by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings. The two planes came within 35 feet of colliding, said NTSB, members of which watched an animated depiction of the incident.
NTSB wants FAA to deploy a system of runway lights to warn pilots of potential collisions. FAA has been testing the system, which would cost about $1 million per runway to install, but hasn't committed to it.
Jet Airways To Start Flights Between India And United States
The U.S. Department of Transportation authorized Jet Airways of India to begin flights between India and the United States for two years, saying the airline meets U.S. financial and operational standards and that the flights will be "consistent with the public interest."
Jet Airways didn't immediately say when or on what routes it would begin flights. In a 2005 application filed shortly after an Open Skies agreement between the two countries, it planned to fly between Mumbai and Newark, via Brussels.
The order was issued Nov. 14, one day after India's civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, complained that Jet Airways' application had been "unnecessarily delayed." The application was held up in part by objections by Jet Airways Inc., a U.S.-based carrier in a trademark dispute with its Indian rival.