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The National Alliance to Advance NextGen, a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey-led coalition of business, travel, tourism, civic, labour, education, airline and aviation officials created to urge full funding for initiatives to overhaul the country’s air traffic control system and significantly reduce delays, has topped 250 member organisations.
The most recent among the 255 registrants include Boeing Company, the world’s largest aerospace company with more than 160,000 employees, the General Electric Company, a 130-year-old global infrastructure, finance and media company, American Express, one of the world’s largest travel agency networks with more than US$25 billion in global travel sales processed in 2008, and Hotel Association of New York City, Inc., one of the oldest professional trade associations in the nation, representing more than 69,000 rooms and 32,000 employees.
PANYNJ Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said, "We’re tremendously excited about leading this effort to overhaul the nation’s 1950s-era air traffic control system. This broad-based coalition reflects the importance of NextGen to America’s economic future, and we look forward to securing federal funding for its implementation."
PANYNJ Executive Director Chris Ward said, "NextGen is a state-of-the-art technology that is destined to reshape air traffic control systems and significantly reduce delays nationwide. We’re optimistic that this widespread support will lead to commitments from Congress and the Obama administration to begin advancing these NextGen operations."
The Alliance’s membership features representatives from 21 US states, the District of Columbia and Brazil, and includes family-run businesses (Gilbane Building Company and Holt Construction); an international corporation with offices in 52 countries (Accenture); the world’s largest business federation (the U.S. Chamber of Commerce); the nation’s largest labour union (the International Brotherhood of Teamsters), and New York City’s top corporate, investment and entrepreneurial firms (Partnership for New York City). Internationally known tourist attractions such as the Empire State Building, as well as small, neighbourhood historical museums, like King Manor in Queens, also are members.
PANYNJ Deputy Executive Director Susan Bass Levin said, "NextGen symbolises the Port Authority’s commitment to embrace top-of-the-line technology for national aviation initiatives as well as for our own facilities. As we continue to innovate new concepts to minimize and reduce air traffic delays, we’re excited join with our new partners in the National Alliance."
The Alliance is calling for an FAA Reauthorization Bill that includes the billions of dollars necessary to advance, install and operate NextGen technology and procedures as quickly as possible, starting with the nation’s most congested airspace like the metropolitan New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. FAA studies have shown that 75 percent of the nation’s air traffic delays have their genesis at one of the New York metropolitan region’s airports.
As part of the FAA Reauthorization Bill, NextGen – which incorporates an advanced Global Positioning System (GPS) to help air traffic controllers move more aircraft with increased efficiency – will need a long-term, multi-year commitment from Congress and the administration. Total funding is expected to require $8 to $10 billion for the first 10 years, and $15 to $22 billion through 2025.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
