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FAA - Federal Aviation Administration

FAA Serious Communication Problems

Communications problems at an FAA facility that processes flight plans are causing flight delays at airports across the U.S. Ref. CNN

Administration Aviation Federal FAA

This is a reminder of how fragile communication systems can be. I hope it has nothing to do with terrorists.

FAA - Federal Aviation Administration Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture

I hope they get it figured out without too many problems. I had a patient flying home to the East Coast this evening. If she ran into too many delays it could stress her out and would not be a pretty outcome. I also hope it is the result of terrorists.

Administration Aviation Federal FAA

Congressional leaders have reached "a bipartisan compromise between the House and the Senate" to fully fund the Federal Aviation Administration, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says.

The deal will "put 74,000 transportation and construction workers back to work," Reid says.

"This agreement does not resolve the important differences that still remain," Reid said in a written statement. "But I believe we should keep Americans working while Congress settles its differences." Ref. CNN

Administration Aviation Federal FAA

Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt resigned Tuesday, three days after he was arrested on a drunken driving charge near his suburban Washington home.

In a brief statement released to the press, Babbitt said he had submitted his resignation to his boss, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and that LaHood had accepted it.

Babbitt, a former airline pilot, said serving as FAA administrator had been "the highlight of my professional career," adding, "But I am unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by my colleagues at the FAA."

Earlier in the day, Secretary LaHood told reporters he was "disappointed" that he had learned about Babbitt's Saturday night arrest only after the Fairfax City, Va., police department released a press release about the incident.

His statement made no mention of his arrest, althou gh it was clearly the event that precipitated his action. Ref. CNN

FAA - Federal Aviation Administration

The Federal Aviation Administration will delay the closures of 149 unfunded federal contract air traffic control towers until June 15, the agency announced Friday.

The FAA said last month it would eliminate funding for these towers as part of the agency's required $637 million in forced spending cuts.

Tower closures had been scheduled to begin April 7 and were to have been phased in over four weeks, the FAA said. Ref. CNN

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

The Federal Aviation Administration will allow airlines to expand passengers' use of portable electronic devices during all phases of flight, the agency announced today, but cell phone calls will still be prohibited.

Airlines are now being given guidance on the new policy, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. Implementation will vary among airlines, the FAA added, due to differences among fleets and operations. But the agency expects many carriers to show that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year.

In a statement, the FAA said it reached its decision after consulting a group of experts that included representatives from the airlines, aviation manufacturers, passengers, pilots, flight attendants and the mobile technology industry.

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions, the FAA said. Devices must be held or put in the seat-back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing.

Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled - no signal bars displayed -- and cannot be used for voice communications due to FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones, the agency said.

If an air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, passengers may use it. Short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards, can also be used.

"We believe today's decision honors both our commitment to safety and consumers' increasing desire to use their electronic devices during all phases of their flights," Said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "These guidelines reflect input from passengers, pilots, manufacturers, and flight attendants, and I look forward to seeing airlines implement these much anticipated guidelines in the near future." Ref. CNN

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 today to consider lifting its ban on in-flight cell phone use.

The FCC has banned in-flight calls for technical reasons. But new technology has made that ban obsolete, the commission says, and there's no reason to continue it. Ref. CNN