{"id":2095792,"date":"2023-11-09T20:06:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T01:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flying-for-the-holidays-spike-in-airplane-near-collisions-must-serve-as-a-wake-up-call\/"},"modified":"2023-11-09T20:08:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T01:08:04","slug":"flying-for-the-holidays-spike-in-airplane-near-collisions-must-serve-as-a-wake-up-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flying-for-the-holidays-spike-in-airplane-near-collisions-must-serve-as-a-wake-up-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday travel by air? Increase in close calls between airplanes should be a wake-up call."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflying-for-the-holidays-spike-in-airplane-near-collisions-must-serve-as-a-wake-up-call%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2095792&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Close Calls and Near Collisions: The State of Air Safety<\/h2>\n<p>Imagine being \u2064on a \u2062plane, just moments away\u200d from\u2063 disaster.\u200c More than 100 passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight experienced this terrifying\u200b situation when\u200b they came \u200cwithin 100 \u200bfeet of \u2063crashing into a Cessna business jet at San\u200b Diego \u200cInternational Airport. \u200dAnd they&#8217;re not alone.<\/p>\n<p>In February, another \u200c100 \u2063lives were at \u200brisk when a\u200b Mesa Airlines jet had to abort its landing to avoid colliding with a SkyWest jet on the runway at Bob Hope Burbank Airport in California. And \u2062the incidents don&#8217;t stop\u200c there.<\/p>\n<p>Just that same month, a\u2064 JetBlue \u200dAirlines plane\u200d had \u200bto initiate an emergency\u2064 go-around after a Hop-a-Jet flight took off without clearance \u2064out of Boston Logan International Airport. These close calls have become all too \u200dcommon in the\u2063 past year, raising concerns among government and industry aviation leaders.<\/p>\n<h3>The Troubling Year for Flight\u2064 Safety<\/h3>\n<p>With the holiday travel season already underway and millions of Americans boarding flights daily, the fear of the \u2063next runway incursion \u200bor collision is palpable. That&#8217;s why\u2063 a hearing was convened \u2063before\u2063 the\u200b Senate Commerce, Science, and\u200d Transportation\u200c Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation. The goal? To address\u2063 the \u200btroubling state of flight safety.<\/p>\n<p>According to \u200bSenator Tammy \u200dDuckworth, a former \u200cmilitary pilot and\u200c the subcommittee chairwoman, \u200cthere were 300 near\u2062 collisions involving commercial carriers in just a 12-month period. That&#8217;s \u2064almost \u200done near miss per day. These\u2064 incidents \u2063are \u200bnot normal, but rather \u200da warning sign that our \u2062aviation system is under stress.<\/p>\n<p>Data shared at the Senate hearing revealed that runway incursions \u2063and near \u200dmisses between commercial planes reached a \u2064decade-high in fiscal 2023, with 23\u2063 incidents at U.S. airports. This is\u2064 a significant increase from just\u200b eight incidents in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>While incidents like these are rare, the extent of the \u2064danger is often kept out of plain sight for passengers. However, a New York\u200d Times investigation \u2062in August uncovered 46 close calls in July alone\u200b and nearly 300 total near collisions in 12 months. These findings were \u2064based on voluntary disclosures from \u200cpilots, controllers, and others.<\/p>\n<h3>A Wake-Up Call for \u200bthe Aviation Industry<\/h3>\n<p>Democratic\u200d and\u2062 Republican senators alike acknowledged the seriousness\u200d of the problems facing\u200c the industry. However, they also recognized that resolving these issues would not happen overnight.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer Homendy, the chairwoman \u200dof the National\u200b Transportation Safety Board, emphasized the need for action before a \u200ccatastrophic \u2062event occurs.\u2062 The incidents must serve as a \u200bwake-up call to address the strain on our safety system.<\/p>\n<h3>The\u2063 Factors Contributing to the Crisis<\/h3>\n<p>Senator Duckworth pointed to a surge in retirements across the\u2062 aviation industry, exacerbated \u200dby the pandemic,\u200d as a significant factor in\u200b the current state of \u2064air safety. \u200bCoupled with increased demand, this has created a perfect storm that has eroded safety \u2064margins and led to far too many near misses.<\/p>\n<p>The shortage of experienced pilots and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/search-and-rescue-teams-at-site-of-indonesian-plane-crash\/\" title=\"Search and rescue teams at site of Indonesian plane crash\">air traffic controllers<\/a>, as well as \u2063a \u2063pervasive shortage\u2063 of air traffic controllers, has further strained the system. Most controllers are now working six-day weeks \u200dof 60\u2062 hours,\u2062 often rotating between day and night shifts, which negatively impacts their circadian rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200bmental health of aviation employees is also\u2063 a concern.\u200b The overwhelming hours and\u2063 strains of the job \u200care taking a toll, and this issue needs to be\u2063 better\u2063 addressed.<\/p>\n<h3>Looking Ahead: Solutions and Hope<\/h3>\n<p>The FAA is taking steps to address the issue by fast-tracking technology that can\u2064 monitor runways\u2064 for unexpected\u200c plane movements. This will provide an \u2063additional layer of\u200b safety in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flying-for-the-holidays-spike-in-airplane-near-collisions-must-serve-as-a-wake-up-call\/\" title=\"Holiday travel by air? Increase in close calls between airplanes should be a wake-up call.\">case air traffic controllers miss<\/a> any potential dangers.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers have long tried to increase the number of air traffic controllers, but with little \u200csuccess. President Joe Biden&#8217;s budget for 2023 includes plans to hire 1,500 \u2062more controllers, with an additional\u200d 1,800 in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>However, \u200cRich Santa, \u2063president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, believes \u2063that the blame lies\u2064 with the FAA for failing\u2062 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebook-freezes-hiring-across-multiple-divisions\/\" title=\"Facebook Freezes Hiring Across Multiple Divisions\">meet hiring goals<\/a> over\u2064 the past decade. He argues \u200dthat the \u2064solution is not \u2062to\u2064 burden \u200dexisting controllers with more fatigue but to hire more \u200demployees.<\/p>\n<p>The road ahead may be challenging, but \u2063the safety of air travel is a priority that cannot\u200b be ignored. It&#8217;s time for \u2063the aviation industry to come together \u2062and address these\u2062 issues before it&#8217;s too late.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What collaborative efforts and\u2062 strategies\u2064 can the FAA, airlines, and other stakeholders\u200b in the aviation industry implement to mitigate\u200c risks and\u2064 improve safety protocols and\u200b procedures<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062E as a\u200c wake-up call for the aviation industry to prioritize safety and take immediate steps to address the alarming rise in close calls and \u2063near collisions.<\/p>\n<p>One of the key issues\u2063 highlighted during the hearing\u200c was the need for improved pilot training and communication.\u200d Senator Richard Blumenthal emphasized the importance of\u200b enhancing pilot proficiency in order to prevent such incidents. He called for\u2063 a comprehensive review of pilot training\u200b programs and stricter regulations to \u200densure that pilots are adequately prepared to \u2062handle emergency situations\u2064 and\u200b make split-second decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the\u200c Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was also under \u2062scrutiny for its role in \u2063ensuring air safety. Senators expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the FAA&#8217;s oversight and enforcement\u200c measures. They questioned the agency&#8217;s ability to identify and address systemic issues in a \u200ctimely manner. In response, FAA Administrator \u2062Steve Dickson assured the senators that the agency is committed to taking necessary\u2062 actions to enhance safety and prevent future incidents.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the hearing shed light on\u200d the importance of collaborative efforts between \u2063the FAA, airlines, and other stakeholders in the aviation industry. Senator Maria Cantwell stressed the need for \u200bincreased coordination \u2064and information sharing to identify trends and develop \u2062proactive strategies to\u2063 mitigate risks. She \u200dcalled for regular audits and \u2063assessments to ensure that safety protocols and procedures are \u200cbeing followed consistently.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the use\u200b of advanced technology and automation was discussed as a potential solution\u2064 to reduce human errors and improve safety in the aviation \u2064industry. However, it was also acknowledged that technology \u200balone cannot address all\u2062 the challenges. A combination of well-trained pilots, effective communication systems, and robust safety protocols is\u200b required to ensure the highest\u2062 level of air safety.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing\u2064 concluded with a call to \u200caction for the FAA to prioritize \u200csafety and for the aviation industry to invest in training, technology, and\u2062 infrastructure improvements. \u200cThe senators urged the agency to work closely\u200c with stakeholders to implement necessary changes \u200dand prevent future near collisions and close calls.<\/p>\n<p>As passengers, it is crucial for us to\u200d be aware\u2062 of the state of air safety and demand \u200daccountability from\u2064 the aviation\u200c industry. While incidents like these \u200bare rare, even a single close\u2063 call or near collision is one too many. It is our collective responsibility to prioritize safety and ensure that every flight is conducted with the\u2062 highest standards of professionalism and diligence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 100 passengers on board a Southwest Airlines flight came within 100 feet of crashing into a Cessna business jet at San Diego International Airport this summer. In February, a Mesa Airlines jet was forced to abort its landing to avoid colliding with a SkyWest jet on the runway at Bob Hope Burbank Airport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2095793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2095792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2095792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2095793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2095792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2095792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2095792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}