The FAA's Bryan Bedford will testify before a House appropriations subcommittee about a proposed $12.5 billion air-traffic control overhaul after a watchdog warned of potential funding gaps. Pilots' unions and industry consultants say airlines should do more to prevent staffing and technology shortfalls from cascading into wider disruptions. JetBlue reported a sharp rise in Northeastern cancellations this summer (8.3% in July vs. under 3% for several rivals). The FAA's SMART predictive scheduling system is being discussed as a tool to improve recovery from weather-related disruptions.
FAA Chief To Testify On $12.5B Air-Traffic Overhaul As Airlines Urged To Stop Delays From Spiraling
FILE PHOTO: A JetBlue Airlines commercial aircraft flies over Washington as it approaches to land at Dulles International Airport, as seen from Washington, U.S., August 5, 2024. REUTERS/ Umit Bektas/File Photo
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) chief, Bryan Bedford, is scheduled to testify before a U.S. House appropriations subcommittee about a proposed $12.5 billion overhaul of the nation's air-traffic control systems following a government watchdog's warning about potential funding shortfalls.
As lawmakers prepare to examine the plan, a pilots' union and aviation consultants told Reuters that airlines should do more to prevent staffing and technology shortfalls from cascading into larger operational disruptions. Air-traffic control constraints and technology issues have contributed to flight delays and cancellations in the United States, Australia and Britain, creating headaches for carriers worldwide.
JetBlue Performance And Pilots' Concerns
New York-based JetBlue Airways reported that air-traffic-related cancellations in the Northeastern U.S. nearly doubled this summer compared with the average of the prior three summers, after the region experienced storms and controller shortages. Data from consultancy Cirium showed JetBlue's July cancellation rate at 8.3%, compared with less than 3% at several major rivals including Frontier, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
In correspondence reviewed by Reuters, the JetBlue unit of the Air Line Pilots Association — currently in contract talks with the carrier — urged management to take additional steps to limit disruptions. Wayne Scales, president of JetBlue's pilots' union, wrote in a September 7 message:
"This summer took a toll with long days, repeated disruptions, and too much seemingly preventable chaos. What management can control is how prepared JetBlue is to respond — and how effectively it recovers."
Pilots asked JetBlue to design contingency plans to avoid situations that left crew waiting for reassignment and hotel rooms during July disruptions.
Airlines' Response And Technology Options
JetBlue said it invested heavily in summer planning based on recent weather patterns and air-traffic data, but acknowledged that storms and shortages of controllers can undermine even the best preparations. The carrier added that its concentrated presence in the Northeast exacerbates the impact of localized disruptions.
Industry consultant Bob Mann warned that carriers operating in the nation's busiest airspace face elevated risk of delays. He noted that software exists that can reduce the domino effect of canceled and delayed flights but said such tools are not yet widely adopted across airlines.
FAA's SMART System
Bedford met last Thursday with chief executives of major U.S. carriers to discuss FAA plans to deploy advanced software for flight scheduling and traffic management. The FAA's SMART system uses predictive analytics to help reschedule flights more effectively after weather-related cancellations and to give airlines and the FAA earlier visibility into emerging constraints.
JetBlue said it welcomed the SMART program, noting it could provide better information and tools to anticipate bottlenecks, make stronger operational decisions and recover more quickly when disruptions occur.
What To Watch: Congressional scrutiny of the $12.5 billion plan, how quickly the FAA and carriers adopt predictive scheduling tools, and whether airlines strengthen contingency planning to limit cascading disruptions.
(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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