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Bush Administration criticized for air transport problems
The Bush Administration came under attack from federal officials concerned about airport runway near misses and the neglected state of security for domestic air cargo.
The dual bad news that came at the same time included a call to find better ways to curb the runway jet problem, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“This is a safety issue and needs to be fixed,” said John Clark, chief of the NTSB aviation safety division.
The NTSB said existing runaway safety systems are problem-plauged while at the same time the government has been slow to make improvements.
The most deadly crash in aviation history came in 1977 when two Boeing 747s collided in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people.
There has been no slowdown in near misses.
The Federal Aviation Administration said during a recent year-long period, there were 324 runway incidents.
At the same time, the Government Accountability office also said the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should do an assessment of problem areas with air cargo.
Six billion pounds of air cargo are transported each year in the US on passenger aircraft.
The TSA screens passengers and their baggage but the responsibility for air cargo is passed on to carriers.
Congressman Ed Markey said the 100% screening of passengers gives travelers a false sense of security.
“Americans need to know that their sneakers may be inspected but that objects the size of a car are waved on board,” he said in a statement.
Other US congressmen pointed out that air cargo is routinely inspected in other nations.
Various bills are pending in Congress to deal with air cargo screening.
Report by David Wilkening
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