Dec 28 Key decisions on drone rules likely to come from Congress in 2015 By Joan Lowy, Associated Press The Obama administration is on the verge of proposing long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. Continue reading
Dec 10 FAA issues commercial drone permits to 4 more companies By Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Under pressure from Congress to speed access to U.S. skies for commercial drones, the government granted four companies permission Wednesday to use drones for aerial surveillance, construction site monitoring and oil rig flare stack inspections. Continue reading
Aug 01 FAA issues new restrictions on flights over Iraq By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting U.S. airlines from flying at or below 30,000 feet over Iraq because of what it calls “the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict” there. Continue reading
Jul 24 FAA reverses ban on U.S. flights to and from Tel Aviv By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted its ban on U.S. flights in and out of Israel. The end of the ban, which the agency had imposed out of concern for the risk of planes being hit by Hamas… Continue reading
Jul 22 Watch Several countries temporarily stop commercial air traffic to Israel By PBS News Hour Several North American and European airlines temporarily halted service to Israel after a Hamas rocket struck a house in Tel Aviv near Israel’s main airport. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for an end to violence after meeting with Israeli prime… Continue watching
Jun 13 Air traffic controllers working exhausting schedules, report finds By Joan Lowy, Associated Press Three years after a series of incidents in which controllers were found to be sleeping on the job, a National Research Council report released Friday expressed astonishment that the Federal Aviation Administration still permits controllers to work schedules that cram… Continue reading
Apr 03 Watch FAA Inspectors Claim Agency Was Lax on Safety Enforcement Veteran Federal Aviation Administration inspectors told a House committee Thursday that safety violations by Southwest Airlines were ignored by their supervisors due to the "cozy" relationship between FAA officials and the airline. An analyst examines federal oversight of commercial airlines. Continue watching
Dec 12 Watch GPS-based System May Improve Air Travel The Federal Aviation Administration has unveiled a new air traffic control system, ADS-B, that incorporates the Global Positioning System to more accurately track airplanes in flight. Tom Bearden examines ADS-B, which the FAA has promised will make air travel safer… Continue watching
Aug 07 Watch FAA Official Discusses Flight Delays Across United States U.S. airlines are suffering major delays across the country. Federal Aviation Administration official Marion Blakey talks to the NewsHour about what is causing the delays and how the government is handling the frustrating situation. Continue watching
Jun 11 Watch Expert Talks About Travel Industry's Challenges Recent changes in scheduling and delays from several major airlines have made getting out of town more difficult than normal. Airline journalist David Field talks about about what to expect from travel companies this summer. Continue watching