The agency is responding to a bombshell report on the alarmingly high level of airplane near-misses.
If it feel like you ’ve been hearing more and more about aeroplane derive very tight tocolliding with each otheron or near the runway at US aerodrome , a new written report from theNew York Timesthis calendar week confirmed those suspicion in anxiety - inducing detail .
According to theTimesanalysis of internal Federal Aviation Administration recordsand federal safety reports , there were 46 documented closelipped claim involving commercial US airlines during the calendar month of July alone . Among the examples cited were a Southwest flight ’s aborted landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport that came within seconds of a possible collision with a Delta plane that was take off , as well as an American flying that had to abruptly go 700 feet high into the strain to avoid a United plane . Two of the confrontation were so close they were described as " skin to skin " in internal records . Most of these incidents , the report noted , are not at once publicly disclosed .
The account notes that although the US has not had a major plane clang in more than a decade , aviation experts are concerned that the increased regularity of these near - misfire happening could bring that streak to an end rather than later on . ground on FAA data cited in theTimes , the number of these airplane near - misses has increased almost 25 % over the past decade .
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In response to theTimesreport , the FAA issued a statementcalling the US aviation system " the safest in the world , but one close call is too many . " The agency enunciate it is working with the aviation community to pursue a goal of " zero serious close calls . " It also take note , in reaction to reports of theair traffic restraint staffing shortagebeing a fundamental contributor to the job , that it has hired 1,500 air dealings comptroller this year ( though theTimesreports that the agency is losing more than 1,400 controllers to retirement and other difference this year ) . In a freestanding word dismission this hebdomad , the FAA also announcedit is holding safety meetings imply fundamental stakeholder at about 90 US airports between now and the end of September to " identify unequaled risks to Earth’s surface safety at that aerodrome and grow plan to palliate or eliminate those risks . "
The FAA also has noted that it publishes information on near - collisions to its website , and share information indicating that these " track incursion " have actually been trending downwardly since the pandemic start .
in the end , on Wednesdaythe FAA announcedthe awarding of more than $ 121 million in financial support to eight airport across the country to " reduce the risk of track incursions . " The funded projects let in reconfigured landing field layout and new lighting systems . The financial support was batten down through the FAA ’s Airport Improvement Program and the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law .
Courtesy of the FAA
The FAA is also reportedly seek extra funding to hire and train more line traffic controllers and make further advance , as theTimesnoted that , as of May , only three of the nation ’s 313 air traffic installation were meeting air traffic control condition staffing fair game set by the FAA . The staffing dearth imply that many controllers are function six - Clarence Day workweek leaving them fag out , burnt out , and that a major incident could ensue from the current conditions .
