Nation Jul 31 WATCH: FAA staffing scrutinized on 2nd day of NTSB hearing on midair collision near DC By Josh Funk, Associated Press
Politics Jul 09 Senate confirms Bryan Bedford as new FAA head amid rising concerns about air safety The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, putting him in charge of the federal agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents, including the January collision near Washington, D.C. that… By Leah Askarinam, Associated Press
Politics Jun 11 WATCH: Trump’s pick to be FAA administrator faces tough questions on safety at Senate hearing Bryan Bedford is facing tough questions about safety on Wednesday during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. By Leah Askarinam, Josh Funk, Associated Press
Nation Jun 06 New Trump orders on drones aim to counter threats while encouraging flying cars and supersonic flights The three executive orders will encourage the Federal Aviation Administration to expedite rules to allow companies to use drones beyond their operators' line of sight, while also imposing restrictions meant to help protect against terrorism, espionage and public safety threats. By Josh Funk, Didi Tang, Associated Press
Politics May 14 WATCH: FAA official confirms hotline between military, air traffic controllers in Washington hasn’t worked for more than 3 years The Federal Aviation Administration official in charge of air traffic controllers, Frank McIntosh, confirmed the agency didn't even know the hotline hadn't been working since March 2022 until after the latest near miss. By Josh Funk, Associated Press
May 09 Air traffic controllers briefly lose radar access again at Newark airport By Josh Funk, Associated Press The Federal Aviation Administration said the radar at the facility in Philadelphia that directs planes in and out of Newark airport went black for 90 seconds at 3:55 a.m. Friday. That’s similar to what happened on April 28. Continue reading
Feb 06 Trump blames ‘obsolete’ U.S. air traffic control system for the plane and chopper collision near DC By Josh Funk, Associated Press President Donald Trump says he thinks last week's deadly collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter wouldn't have happened if the U.S. had a more modern air traffic control computer system. Continue reading
Feb 01 Did Trump’s firing of aviation officials contribute to the D.C. crash? Experts say it’s unlikely By Louis Jacobson, Loreben Tuquero, PolitiFact Aviation experts said there was little that Trump did that could have precipitated the crash between a commercial jet and a military helicopter. There was simply too little time — less than 10 days after Trump was sworn in —… Continue reading
Jan 30 Passengers on downed flight included young American figure skaters and Russian coaches By Associated Press A crash between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter killed teen figure skaters from the Skating Club of Boston along with their mothers and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Skating organizations in Philadelphia and the Washington area… Continue reading
Jan 03 Boeing needs a cultural shift to put safety above profits, says FAA head By Associated Press Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing. Continue reading