The FAA shuts down numerous projects across the country
July 27, 2011, 03:17 pm
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given a large number of stop work orders over the past few days to construction and technology contractors across the country. Numerous modernization projects, including long-term runway safety initiatives and NextGen air traffic control research and testing, were shut down after Congress declined to pass the FAA bill.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "I am making a simple and straightforward request to Congress: pass a clean FAA bill and immediately put thousands of FAA employees, construction workers, planners and engineers across America to work. In these tough economic times, we can ill afford to lay off hard-working Americans whose families depend on them."
Approximately 4,000 FAA employees have been furloughed due to the failure of the bill. Numerous projects were halted, including a $250 million contract to design and install new runway status lights at airports across the nation, from Chicago O'Hare to Seattle-Tacoma. The lights are designed to increase safety in airports, allowing pilots to see when it's safe to cross, land on or takeoff from a runway.
In 2010, there were 627,588 FAA-certified pilots in the United States, many of whose lives may be affected by the ongoing struggle over FAA funding in Washington D.C. No matter the outcome of the political debates, life insurance for pilots will always be necessary for aviators who want to financially protect their families.
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