U.S. lawmakers on
Friday stopped the air controller furloughs that have caused thousands of
flight delays at airports across the country. The move will allow
transportation officials to shift millions of dollars from other accounts to
ease forced budget cuts that caused air traffic controller staff reductions at
airports nationwide.
Most flights were on
schedule, as US air travel got back to normal.
This came after a week
of growing passenger frustration and airline delays caused by not having enough
air traffic controllers on duty. Lawmakers in Washington moved swiftly to solve
the problem - and reduce the effect of mandatory spending cuts which had forced
15-hundred air traffic controllers a day to take unpaid leave. Travelers are
relieved.
"It doesn't take a
genius to figure out that a few bucks for some air traffic controllers would
make us all a lot happier," said one airline passenger.
In Atlanta, where
delays were not as bad as elsewhere, Airport Manager Louis Miller is still
relieved.
"It think it's the
ability that the traffic manager here recognized that you do have the busiest
airport in the world and, when things get backed up here significantly, every
city not only in the US, but internationally, can get affected," he said.
Transportation
officials say the shift in funding also will keep 149 air-control towers at
smaller airports open. Despite the move restoring full strength to the nation's
air traffic control system, both political parties in Congress continue to
blame each other for the forced spending cuts.
"These are simply
irresponsible cuts that have have real and detrimental impacts on the traveling
public," said Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
Lawmakers remain deeply
divided over ways to end the automatic cuts known as "the sequester"
that continue to ripple through nearly every federal government agency.
"The President is
against sequester, the Senate budget is against sequester, and you
[Republicans] would not allow us [Democrats] to offer an amendment four times,
which would have precluded sequester," said Democratic Congressman Steny
Hoyer of Maryland.
While the budget battle
continues, travelers are just happy there's now enough money to keep the
nation's air traffic control system operating smoothly.
Sources :
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-congress-looking-to-end-air-traffic-delays/1649384.html
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