http://www.oig.dot.gov/rss.jsp?subject=16 The 10 most recent releases on the U.S. DoT OIG web site related to Airports en-US webmaster@oig.dot.gov (OIG Webmaster) http://www.oig.dot.gov/images/dot.gif http://www.oig.dot.gov/rss.jsp?subject=16 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2557 On October 28, 2009, the Inspector General testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation regarding FAA actions required to address the recommendations of a joint Government/Industry task force report for achieving midterm goals for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).The Inspector General noted that NextGen is a high risk effort and a top management challenge for the Department and FAA. A number of operational and management decisions must be addressed to successfully transition to NextGen and address the task forces recommendations. These include maximizing the benefits of performance based navigation initiatives and managing NextGen efforts as integrated portfolios of investments. The Inspector General noted that the findings of the task force are consistent with our work but also identified several new areas for FAAs attention.To move beyond endorsing the task forces recommendations, the Inspector General stated that FAA must set realistic expectations for NextGen. Specifically, FAA must: (1) develop plans to initiate action and establish a 5year funding profile for the NextGen midterm, (2) establish metrics for assessing and measuring progress, and (3) develop and implement a strategy for linking near and midterm efforts with the Agencys longterm plans for transforming the National Airspace System. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2557 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2537 Consistent with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Office of Management and Budget guidance, the Office of Inspector General plans to review the effectiveness of FAAs process for awarding ARRA grants to airport projects. The audit will focus on the extent of FAAs compliance with ARRA requirements as well as its own policies and procedures in determining which Airport Improvement Program projects should receive ARRA funds. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2537 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2523 The Office of Inspector General is working to ensure that the more than $48 billion in stimulus funds allocated to the Department of Transportation is committed to infrastructure projects that meet ARRA requirements. We issued this advisory to alert the Department that FAAs process for awarding ARRA grants for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) projects did not ensure all ARRA requirements were met. Specifically, FAAs guidance to regional officials for selecting airport projects did not adequately reconcile national ARRA goals with the Agencys National Priority Rating (NPR) process for scoring potential AIP projects, and the economic merit of some lowerranked projects may be questionable. Additionally, some projects may involve recipients with histories of grant management problems. As a result, some of these grants may not fully comply with ARRA requirements calling for transparent, meritbased selections and effective administration of funds. We offer proposed actions for change for the Departments consideration. Most broadly, to ensure only projects of the highest priority and economic merit receive ARRA funds, FAA needs to reconcile its guidance to regional officials with ARRA requirements and provide a transparent selection process. We suggest that until FAA can demonstrate their economic merit, it should refrain from awarding additional grants for lowerranked projects. For such projects that have been approved but for which no ARRA funds have been expended, FAA should show their economic merit or consider withdrawing those grants. Finally, FAA should increase its oversight over ARRA grant recipients that historically have not administered AIP funds effectively. We plan to follow up on the information in this advisory with a full audit. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2523 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2449 On March 24, 2009, we issued our review of FAAs process for reporting and investigating operational errors. This review was requested by Chairman Oberstar of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Chairman Costello of the House Subcommittee on Aviation. Their request was prompted by our 2007 investigation at the Dallas FortWorth (DFW) Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which we conducted after whistleblowers alleged that facility management was intentionally misclassifying operational errors. Chairmen Oberstar and Costello were concerned that the operational error reporting problems found at the DFW TRACON may be occurring at other Air Traffic facilities. Accordingly, our audit objectives were to: (1) determine whether FAA has adequate policies and procedures to ensure accuracy and consistency in operational error reporting and (2) review the roles and responsibilities of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) and FAAs Aviation Safety line of business in reporting and investigating operational errors.While the events that transpired at DFW TRACON were not occurring systemwide, we did identify control and oversight weaknesses in FAAs process for reporting and investigating losses of separation caused by pilots and controllers. These weaknesses were due in part to inadequate FAA guidance for investigating these events and insufficient staffing in the ATO Safety Office. Further, FAAs current processes do not ensure that all losses of separation are accurately reported across terminal and en route facilities or consistently evaluated for severity. FAA has initiated actions to correct some of these weaknesses, but additional actions and followup are still needed. Specifically, FAA needs to improve its process for reporting and investigating losses of separation by: (1) improving inspectors procedures for investigating pilot deviations, (2) evaluating losses of separation caused by pilots and controllers consistently, and (3) implementing a fulltime separation conformance tool. FAA also needs to enhance the ATOs oversight role in ensuring that losses of separation are reported accurately by: (1) implementing planned organizational changes in a timely manner, (2) involving Flight Standards early in the event determination process, and (3) improving its facility oversight during Air Traffic facility audits. Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2449 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2433 On March 3, 2009, we issued our report on the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) Runway Safety Area (RSA) Program. Specifically, we assessed airport sponsors and FAAs progress and challenges in fulfilling the congressional mandate to improve 454 RSAs by 2015. Overall, we found that there has been significant progress since 2000with the Agency reporting improvements for more than 70 percent of the 454 RSAs. FAA has also been generally effective in identifying, prioritizing, and funding needed RSA improvements.However, FAA still faces major challenges (i.e., manmade, natural, environmental, and legal) in improving several RSAs, including those at 11 of the Nations 30 largest airports. Moreover, FAA needs to focus on modifying or removing nonstandard navigation aids in RSAs, including some that pose considerable safety risks to aircraft and their passengers if struck during a runway overrun. Another key focus area for FAA is improving the quality of its RSA data. Ultimately, this will enhance FAAs annual RSA report to Congress, which currently does not provide sufficient detail for decision makers on completed or needed RSA improvements.Our recommendations to FAA focus on (1) developing a plan to improve RSAs at 11 airports to the fullest extent practical; (2) developing and implementing a program to remove or modify nonstandard navigation aids located in RSAs; (3) issuing detailed guidance to and conducting training for staff who identify, track, and report the status of RSAs; (4) implementing quality control procedures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of RSA data; and (5) expanding the annual report to Congress to better reflect the true status of RSA improvement activities. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2433 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2420 On February 11, 2009, the Inspector General testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation on key issues regarding FAA reauthorization. FAA does not have a longterm authorization or funding mechanism in place and has been operating on a shortterm extension since September, which expires next month. However, the aviation environment has changed significantly since Congress last debated proposals for reauthorizing and financing FAA. The current economic crisis and volatile fuel costs have forced many airlines to make major service cuts, although load factors remain high. The decline in traffic has also impacted the Aviation Trust Fund, the largest source of revenue for FAAs $15 billion annual budget.Notwithstanding the uncertainties facing the industry, this situation provides FAA with opportunities to focus on key challenges it must address to be strategically positioned for an industry rebound. The Inspector General noted four overarching areas that need to be at the center of FAAs efforts over the next several years: (1) maintaining public confidence in FAAs ability to provide oversight of a dynamic industry, (2) setting expectations and budget priorities for NextGen, (3) bolstering key safety workforces, and (4) financing future airport development while facing unstable longterm airport funding mechanisms. Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2420 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2416 On January 15, 2009, we issued our review of the Department of Transportations (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) actions regarding final rulemaking activities related to the auction of takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, and Newark airports. This review was requested by Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies and James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.FAA planned to auction up to 66 slots at the three New York airports in January 2009. However, in September 2008, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that FAA does not have the statutory authority to auction the slots and stated that if FAA moves forward and uses the auction proceeds, it would violate the Antideficiency Act and the Purpose Statute. DOT disagreed and, based on a legal opinion from the Department of Justice (DOJ), FAA signed the final rules to auction the slots. In December, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a stay, which prevented FAA from auctioning the slots pending further judicial review.Consistent with the Chairmens request, we focused our review on two issues related to the rulemaking activities. First, in light of the GAO opinion, did FAA and DOT actions constitute a willful violation of the Act and Purpose Statute? Second, were career FAA and DOT staff coerced, compelled, or otherwise required by their supervisors to knowingly engage in illegal conduct? We found that FAA and DOT officials have a valid defense against the antideficiency charge because they can demonstrate a good faith belief that what they were doing was lawful, based on DOJs external, legal opinion. A final decision on whether the Act was violated will depend on how various, interrelated legal issues are resolved in Federal courts. In addition, while FAA staff felt considerable pressure from the Department, they told us that they were not coerced or otherwise compelled to agree with the decision to sign the final rules for the slot auctions. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2416 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2328 Airports nationwide continue to face challenges in ensuring airport revenues are used in compliance with Airport Improvement Program grant assurances. The Office of Inspector General plans to review the Denver International Airports use of airport revenues to determine whether FAA is ensuring the airport is using revenues only for airport purposes and is as selfsustaining as possible. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2328 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2324 On June 30, 2008, we issued our review of the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) oversight of airlines and use of regulatory partnership programs. We initiated this review at the request of the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The objectives of our initial review were to determine (1) the thoroughness of FAAs investigation of whistleblower complaints regarding FAAs oversight of Southwest Airlines (SWA) and (2) the type and timeliness of corrective actions FAA took in response to any inappropriate inspector actions. At the request of Congress, we continue to review FAAs air carrier oversight processes to determine if there are areas in which FAA could strengthen its oversight. We testified multiple times before the House and Senate regarding the SWA matter in April. During these hearings, we made a series of recommendations to improve FAAs air carrier oversight practices. We are still reviewing these issues and plan to issue our final report later this year. This interim report formally transmits to FAA the recommendations we have identified to date. While FAA generally agreed with most of our recommendations, it disagreed with two that are fundamental in improving its air carrier oversight: (1) periodically rotate supervisory inspectors to ensure reliable and objective air carrier oversight and (2) establish an independent organization to investigate safety issues identified by FAA employees. Given the seriousness of the issues these recommendations were intended to address, we believe FAA needs to reconsider its position. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2324 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2321 The Office of Inspector General plans to conduct a series of audits in response to congressional concerns regarding the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) oversight of the U.S. airline industry. These concerns were prompted by FAA oversight issues at Southwest Airlines, which have been the topic of recent congressional hearings. Our audits will examine: (1) FAAs implementation of its riskbased Air Transportation Oversight System, (2) FAAs review of air carrier compliance with airworthiness directives, and (3) FAAs oversight of maintenance practices at one air carrier. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2321