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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 15, 2004

SCHUMER, CUSICK: FAA FOOT-DRAGGING ON BADLY-NEEDED REDESIGN OF NY AIRSPACE MAY BE FACTOR IN RASH OF LOW-FLYING JETLINERS OVER ISLAND

After more than 50 Staten Islanders report low-flying jetliners on the eve of 9/11, FAA disavows all knowledge of abnormal flight paths for 3 days

Schumer and Cusick ask why Feds did not know about rerouted plans a full week after Port Authority alerted them to changes from runway repairs

Senator and Assemblyman demand FAA finish study that is 4 years overdue and get working on comprehensive airspace redesign to shift flight paths and cut noise for Staten Islanders

US Senator Charles E. Schumer and Assemblyman Michael J. Cusick today demanded to know why the Federal Aviation Administration did not know about rerouted, low-flying jetliners over Staten Island a full week after the Port Authority alerted the agency to flight path changes due to runway repairs.

Schumer and Cusick will also say that the agency’s foot-dragging on the plans to redesign the airspace above New York City may be a key factor in the rash of low-flying jetliners over Staten Island, because if the airspace redesign were already competed, the flight could have been redirected differently.

Standing at the home of Suzanne Wellborn, who saw a low-flying plane Friday on her way home from Snug Harbor Cultural Center they pushed the FAA for answers about the Friday flights and demanded that agency to complete an overdue environmental study and get to work on the actual project.

“When more than 50 Staten Islanders see low flying jetliners over their homes, you have to wonder why. When the FAA denies all knowledge of the incidents, you have to shake your head in bafflement,” Schumer said. “The bottom line is that we could have been well on the way to fixing aircraft noise over Staten Island if the FAA wasn’t dragging its feet. The FAA has shown they can delay and they can deny, but can they get the job done to fix the airspace over New York?”

Last Friday – on the eve of September 11 – more than 50 Staten Islanders reported low-flying jetliners over Staten Island. The FAA offered no explanation for the flights over the weekend, some of which were so low that people in their homes could see the faces of the airline passengers. Yesterday, the Port Authority acknowledged the flights were redirected because of runway repairs at Newark Liberty International Airport, and said that they has informed the FAA of the work on September 3.
Schumer today wrote to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey seeking details on the Friday flights and an explanation of the FAA could not have known about the flight redirection, having been warmed about the runway work a week earlier.

Schumer also said today that the FAA's delays on massive New York airspace redesign effort may be a key factor contributing to in Friday's flights. That project is projected to be at least four years late. Before the project can proceed, the FAA must complete a draft Environmental Impact Statement, which was originally set for release last year. It is now not expected for another 9 to 13 months. The FAA has cited the fact that internal agency work is taking longer than expected as a reason for the plan's delays. In strong language, Schumer demanded the FAA complete both the preliminary study and the airspace redesign as quickly as possible to reduce airplane overflight noise on Staten Island

In 1998, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) initiated the National Airspace System Redesign program to maintain safety, decrease delays, and reduce congestion in the American airspace, particularly in the crowded airspace between Philadelphia and Boston. Testifying before the House of Representatives in October 1999, then-FAA Administrator Jane Garvey promised that the "Redesign is expected to take approximately eight years to be implemented across the entire country, but tangible benefits are expected in the eastern portion of the United States within five years."

For years, Schumer has been pushing the FAA to deal more quickly with the problem of air noise from Newark Airport, which has plagued Staten Island for decades. The FAA requires that aircraft, almost immediately upon lift, veer sharply 30 degrees to the left, travel 2.3 nautical miles, and then turn back in the opposite direction -- in effect, zig-zagging in the sky all the while attempting to gain altitude during what is considered the most critical moments of a flight. An alternative take-off plan is called the straight-out departure because, as its name implies, it allows aircraft to fly straight upon take-off and climb unrestricted to 5,000 feet. The FAA has the authority to make such a change permanent through the Airspace System Redesign. In January, Schumer also asked EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt to ensure that the FAA addresses noise in its redesign of NY-NJ-Philadelphia airspace.

“Incidents such as this bring us a step back in restoring confidence in the airline industry. I urge you to investigate this disruption and provide Staten Island with an explanation that assures them that the FAA is in complete control of the planes that fly over their communities. The residents of New York City have already witnessed first hand the devastation that errant commercial airlines can cause; they should not be forced to relive those fears erroneously,” Schumer wrote.

A copy of Schumer’s letter is attached.

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