Gary Peters Asks Witness: How Much Will It Cost To Resolve FAA's Air Traffic Control Tower Backlog_

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During Wednesday’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) questioned Franklin McIntosh, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization at the Federal Aviation Administration, about the FAA control tower backlog.

Transcript

00:00Thank you. Senator Peters.

00:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank our witnesses for being here today.

00:08Before I get into my questions, there are two issues that are critical to Michigan.

00:12I just want to highlight, despite the fact we don't have DOT leadership

00:16responsible for them, present at today's hearing. The first is

00:20the implementation of key workforce provisions that I championed

00:24in the FAA reauthorization, like the Promoting Women in Aviation Act,

00:28and the expansion of the FAA Workforce Development

00:32Grant Program, both of which I believe must be implemented

00:36to address the aviation workforce shortages that we

00:40have. The second is the Essential Air Service Program,

00:44or EAS. Michigan has nine rural airports served by EIS.

00:48It's the most in the lower 48 states. Last year's

00:52FAA bill included strong bipartisan reauthorization of this

00:56program, which guarantees air service to rural communities.

01:00Despite this, President Trump's

01:02budget calls for a

01:04$308 million cut

01:06to EAS. This

01:08could rob hundreds of rural communities from

01:10access to air service, and

01:12I don't think you should have to live in a

01:14big city in order to get on an

01:16airplane, and so I'm going to continue

01:18to fight for rural air service and against

01:20these harmful cuts to the program.

01:24Mr. McIntosh, Gerald Ford International

01:28Airport in Grand Rapids in Michigan is the second

01:32largest airport in my state. It sees well over

01:34200 aircraft operations per day, and it serves

01:38as a growing part of our state, a rapidly growing

01:40western area. However, even as Grand Rapids

01:44serves record number of passengers. It's been stymied

01:48in its efforts to expand and modernize

01:50its 62-year-old

01:52FAA air traffic control tower that the agency

01:56has not acted to replace.

01:58As you well know, Grand Rapids is not alone.

02:02Towers across the country are awaiting

02:04replacement. FAA's efforts to address this

02:06backlog have only been further restricted by budgetary

02:10constraints. So my question for you, sir, is Secretary

02:14Duffy put out a plan to address

02:16a facilities backlog at FAA,

02:18but he failed to include

02:20how much that will cost.

02:22So my question is, do you have an

02:24estimate of what level of funding it would take

02:26to address the air traffic control

02:28tower modernization backlog

02:30specifically? And additionally,

02:32can you discuss how aging facilities are

02:34complicating the job of

02:36air traffic control?

02:38I apologize,

02:40Senator Peters, but I do not have that information

02:42for you. If it's okay, can I circle back with

02:44your staff and get you the information exactly what

02:46you're looking for? Yeah, happy to have that.

02:48Thank you, sir. Good. Thank you.

02:50Mr. Hybeck,

02:52I have long advocated for the

02:54FAA to transition away from the use

02:56of toxic PFAS

02:58containing firefighting foams.

03:00The FAA Reauthorization Act

03:02includes a provision that I champion

03:04to ensure a quick transition

03:06to new non-PFAS firefighting foam alongside

03:10financial resources for the

03:12airports necessary to make that transition.

03:14Michigan Airports

03:16continue to lead the way on this issue,

03:18but they need a strong partner

03:20at the FAA to support the transition

03:22away from the use of

03:24PFAS and protect our communities

03:26from further contamination.

03:28In order for the FAA to be that

03:30partner, it must have the appropriate funding,

03:32obviously, to implement

03:34that transaction

03:36or transition.

03:38So, my question to you is, could you speak to

03:40the importance of providing the necessary

03:42resources for airports to make this

03:44transition? And additionally,

03:46what is the timeline for implementation

03:48of the PFAS replacement program

03:50for airports currently?

03:52Yes, Senator, and I appreciate your support

03:54on this important reauthorization

03:56provision. We have made great

03:58progress in implementing the requirements

04:00of the authorization. We have

04:02met the requirement

04:04in the bill to

04:06develop and publish a

04:08transition plan

04:10to flooring-free foams.

04:12That is up on our website, along

04:14with a lot of guidance to airport

04:16sponsors and forms of YouTubes and other

04:18pieces of guidance that

04:20could help them transition.

04:22We have established the framework for

04:24the transition grant program,

04:26the non-PFAS

04:28foam transition grant program,

04:30including consultation

04:32with the EPA.

04:34The only thing that we would need

04:38there to start awarding grants in that

04:40area would be the appropriation.

04:42Those are more operational costs,

04:44not capital costs, eligible under the

04:46airport improvement program.

04:48So we need a special appropriation

04:50to do things like clean

04:52equipment to dispose

04:54of PFAS foams

04:56and to acquire

04:58non-PFAS foams.

05:00Great. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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