U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, who leads the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, has announced a hearing to discuss the effects of government shutdowns on aviation safety and operations. The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 19th at 2:30pm EST.
The session will address how the recent government shutdown affected the air traffic control system, airline operations, and training. It will also examine the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) decision to cut air traffic by 10 percent at 40 major airports as a result of the shutdown.
Ongoing issues in national airspace management—such as radar outages at Newark International Airport, a midair collision in Washington, D.C. in January that resulted in 67 deaths, and staffing shortages among air traffic controllers—will be discussed. These problems have reportedly been made worse by what some are calling the “Schumer shutdown.”
Senator Moran commented:
“The government shutdown has severely impacted our already fragile aviation industry, and recovering from its effects will take time. Earlier this year, we witnessed the vulnerabilities of our air system – all of which have been exacerbated by this shutdown – when a series of failures led to the mid-air collision on January 29, claiming 67 lives. As a result of the longest shutdown in American history, it was necessary for FAA to decrease the number of flights at major airports across the country. As we work to reopen the government, it’s critical that we address the damage done and look at the long-term effects of the shutdown. I look forward to discussing with industry how Congress can work to alleviate the strain on air traffic controllers and TSA agents, as well as ensure safety for passengers and sustainable operations for our airlines, general and business aviation stakeholders.”
Senator Cruz added:
“Almost a month ago, CNN quoted a senior Democratic aide as saying Senate Democrats wouldn’t reopen the government short of ‘planes falling out of the sky.’ For 40 days, Senate Democrats seemed to want to put that theory to test. They forced Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to reduce flights because the safety data the FAA relies on to keep the system safe was blinking red. Thousands of air traffic controllers and TSA agents worked for over a month without pay, working two jobs to make ends meet and facing eviction notices. Hundreds of thousands of Americans saw their flights disrupted or cancelled. We must assess the damage the Democrat shutdown has done and ensure we can safely restore aviation to American skies ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.”
Witnesses scheduled include Nick Daniels from NATCA; former Governor Chris Sununu representing Airlines for America; and Jim Viola from GAMA. Additional witnesses may be announced later.
The hearing will take place in Russell Senate Office Building Room 253 and will be streamed live via both the Committee website and YouTube.
Members of media wishing to attend are advised to contact their respective press galleries for RSVP details.
