During Wednesday’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) spoke about U.S. air travel.
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00:00Thank you. Senator Hackel-Libbert.
00:04Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for calling this.
00:07Thank each of you for all your hard work.
00:10Let me start with Mr. McIntosh.
00:13I know we've talked already.
00:16You've been asked questions about the two copper wires
00:19and the issues around Newark.
00:22I want to just take a moment and just lay out what I recognize.
00:27I mean, it seems to me I fly a lot, too much, back and forth every week.
00:33It's not uncommon that we would get diverted and circle a couple of times.
00:38The last time I checked, we're still using TCAS,
00:41the Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems,
00:45that some of my constituents have been calling in saying,
00:48are we less safe?
00:50And to me, in a funny way, what we're dealing with when we have these,
00:54what happened in Newark is people, they circle, right?
00:57It's not like they almost landed on somebody.
00:59They lost connection and their TCAS is still working.
01:02So as they circle in space, they know exactly where everyone else is
01:06and the collision avoidance system is still working.
01:09Am I correct in communicating that confidence
01:11that everyone should continue flying,
01:14feel that they are absolutely safe when they're flying?
01:16Senator Hickenlooper, absolutely people are safe when they fly.
01:19And I fly like you do every single, I fly every week.
01:24I go back and forth and I have utmost confidence in our air traffic controllers
01:28and our managers and how the system works with the redundancies put in place.
01:35I agree.
01:35I think it seems there are redundancies everywhere.
01:37Obviously, the point of this hearing is we've got a lot of infrastructure
01:42that needs to be upgraded and we've got a lot of work to do.
01:44So you guys should maybe see psychoanalysts about whether you really want these jobs or not
01:50given the restrictions on funding these days.
01:53But there's a lot to be done.
01:54But I want to emphasize that the system is safe, that people should get on planes.
01:59And it's such a crucial part of our economy when people suddenly decide they're not going to fly,
02:04that they feel uncertain about flying, the entire economy slows down.
02:09Yes, sir, it does.
02:10And from an air traffic control perspective, we love the job.
02:15What we really want is better equipment to go along with it.
02:20And that's really what it comes down to.
02:22A lot of our equipment, it is antiquated.
02:24And the FAA has been known as having the safest and most efficient airspace in the world.
02:29But we need to advance our systems to ensure we keep that standard.
02:33I agree.
02:34Perfect.
02:35Now, I want to get specific with you.
02:36We've got some rural communities like Northern Colorado Regional Airport and Fort Collins
02:42are working to be able to do their traffic control without a controller.
02:47The state of Colorado, the Northern Colorado Regional Airport,
02:51have made investments in remote tower technology.
02:54And these investments are waiting to be realized because of ongoing testing at the FAA's Technology Center in New Jersey.
02:59So can we get an update on that?
03:01And where are we and how quickly we get that stuff approved?
03:04Yes, sir.
03:04And I'm very excited about the remote towers.
03:06I think the technology is incredible.
03:08We do have a vendor at Atlantic City at the Tech Center.
03:12They are doing the safety case and the business case now.
03:15And the FAA is ready to validate that safety case, credential that system.
03:21And as soon as that occurs, then the airports will be able to go and purchase that system.
03:26I got an update just yesterday.
03:28And I believe they plan on doing an industry day sometime this summer for people to come
03:32and take a look at the new technology that's out there with how this works.
03:36And it really is an incredible...
03:37Well, that's great.
03:38And that's promotional.
03:39I want...
03:39I'm just trying to urge a sense of urgency.
03:41Yes, sir.
03:42I find a lot of my time I spend urging a sense of urgency around here.
03:46Mr. Heibeck, as you know, many regional airports are the single most important connectivity hub
03:53to the rest of their state or the rest of the country.
03:58And we work closely with Senator Fischer to enact the Sustainable Regional Air Travel Act
04:03as part of FAA reauthorization in 2024.
04:05That was obviously a bipartisan bill that commissions a federal study that will be published next month
04:10to examine those factors that impact air service to regional airports,
04:13including pilot availability, air traffic control systems we've talked about, and other issues.
04:20Can you describe what you think are the most pressing issues that regional airports are facing today?
04:26Because they are such a huge part, not just Colorado, but pretty much every western state,
04:30and really almost every state.
04:33Yes, Senator.
04:35I think the Reauthorization Act seeks to provide or expand the types of funding
04:42under the Airport Improvement Program to fund critical safety and safety infrastructure development projects
04:48at the small rural airports.
04:51And I think the funding challenges continue to persist there,
04:54but the Reauthorization Act does a really good job making some changes to the small airport fund
04:59and in other areas to focus on non-hub airports and non-primary airports.
05:07And one particular example is the state apportionment is expanded there,
05:11and I think that will help meet some of the funding challenges at the smaller airports in the system.
05:17Great.
05:17Well, thank you again.
05:18And, Ms. Baker, I'm out of time, but I will submit.
05:20I've got a couple questions for you, too, but I'll submit them in written form.
05:24I yield back to the chair.