1月に軍用ヘリコプターと商業航空機が衝突し、その後もいくつかの墜落事故が起きたため、当局は古い航空管制システムを改善し、管制官をもっと雇うことに力を入れ始めました。

当局は、これにより安全性が確保され、先週ニュージャージー州ニューワーク空港で一時的にレーダーシステムが機能不全に陥ったことで顕在化したような事態の再発を未然に防止できると表明している。

運輸長官ショーン・ダフィーは、国の航空管制システムを改善するための数十億ドルの計画を木曜日に発表する予定です。同時に、連邦航空局（FAA）はニューワークでの技術や人員の問題をすぐに解決し、他の場所で同じような問題が起こらないようにしています。

Amidst the confusion, one thing is clear: the old system has a lot of trouble handling more than 45,000 domestic flights every day.

Whether Duffy's plan, endorsed by President Donald Trump, can secure the necessary congressional funding to surpass the impact of the last three decades of reform efforts remains uncertain. However, Duffy insists this is indispensable. Over $14 billion has already been allocated to upgrades since 2003, yet this has not precipitated a substantial transformation in the system's operational framework.

"We are tackling this issue head-on, and we will definitely rectify it and construct a completely novel system for you, your families, and the American public," asserted Duffy.

しかし、詳しいことはあまり分かっていません。この計画に、トランプ大統領が以前に賛成した航空管制システムの民営化が含まれるかどうかもはっきりしません。ダフィー氏自身はその可能性をあまり強調していません。木曜日の発表には、民営化に反対するかもしれない多くの労働組合や業界団体、関係者、そして1月の事故で亡くなった人の家族などが来ると予想されています。

According to Professor Sheldon Jacobson of the University of Illinois, who studies aviation risks, the system didn't get much attention from different governments for a long time because people thought it worked well enough. But, when flying planes, 'well enough' isn't good enough, especially because people's lives are in danger.

Jacobson remains skeptical about the success of Duffy's proposal. However, following incidents such as the mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter over Washington D.C. in January, and the crash and subsequent fire of an aircraft in Toronto, support for it could see a resurgence.

The weaknesses in the country's air traffic control system have been pointed out for many years in reports and meetings. Recently, a government report in March said that 51 of the FAA's 138 systems cannot be used for a long time, and another 54 might not be able to be used. This shows how serious the problem is. For example, in 2023, the FAA's system for telling pilots important information stopped working, and all flights across the country had to stay on the ground for more than two hours.

We face the challenge of outdated systems and antiquated infrastructure," stated Frank Lorenzo, the former CEO of Continental Airlines, which once had a major hub in Newark. "They have not received the necessary attention."

The head of the national air traffic controllers' association told Congress that much of the communication system at the FAA's more than 4,600 locations uses old copper wires instead of better fiber optic cables. He said that sudden problems with these wires often cause flights to stop at airports, and this is thought to have caused the problems at Newark.

The radar system employed by air traffic controllers in Philadelphia to direct flights into and out of Newark Airport reportedly malfunctioned on April 28th, causing it to be offline for a minimum of thirty seconds. This facility is reliant on radar data transmitted from New York, and it is suspected that some of this data may travel through antiquated copper telephone lines, which are believed to have failed. The FAA has indicated that this system's reliance on such wiring stems from the relocation of Newark controllers from New York to Philadelphia last summer, a measure undertaken to address staffing shortages.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday its plan to replace old copper wires with fiber optic cables and add three new data lines between New York and Philadelphia. At the same time, they are continuing to train and certify more air traffic controllers.

The duration of each measure remains uncertain, but Duffy anticipates an improvement in the situation at Newark by summer, coinciding with the projected completion of an ongoing runway construction project. Furthermore, a number of air traffic controllers have taken extended leave due to trauma following the radar outage, exacerbating the staffing shortage in Philadelphia.

In response to numerous flight cancellations, the FAA has imposed limitations on air traffic entering and departing Newark to ensure safe operations. Acknowledging the disruption, Duffy further stated that the FAA plans to engage in discussions with all airlines to determine the maximum number of flights the airport can accommodate. As of Wednesday, Newark had experienced the highest number of cancellations nationwide, with 42 departing and 46 arriving flights cancelled. This situation arose after United Airlines reduced its daily flights at the airport by 35 as of last weekend.

FAAは2003年に始まったNextgenプログラムの一部として、少しずつ改善を進めてきました。これには、管制官や他の飛行機に、より正確な飛行機の場所を知らせるADS-Bシステムを作ることも含まれます。このシステムは、1月の事故の調査で特に注目されています。なぜなら、衝突した時、ブラックホークヘリコプターが自分の場所を知らせていなかったからです。

Furthermore, the FAA is taking measures, including offering bonuses to experienced air traffic controllers, to curb early retirements.

A big problem in upgrading air transport infrastructure is that the Federal Aviation Administration has to keep the current system working while building a new one. They also need to make sure the change from the old to the new system is smooth. This is one reason why the FAA has chosen to make smaller, step-by-step improvements until now.

元事故調査官で、数年間運輸省監察官室で航空分野を担当していたジェフ・グゼッティ氏は、「この問題は何十年も続いていますが、それは怠慢ではなく、解決が非常に難しいからです」と述べました。「問題を解決するには、十分な資金と良い管理が必要です。しかし、FAAは長い間、資金が不足しており、時には適切な管理ができていませんでした」