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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Congress showing signs of life on travel issues

Months, even years, can go by while Congress plods through the legislative process on some issues, including those that directly affect travelers. Then, occasionally we get pretty fast action when a problem turns into crisis of confidence -- in this case we're talking about the safety of regional airline flying.

A bipartisan bill was introduced in the House yesterday, and appears headed for quick approval, that would set tougher standards for regional airline pilots' training and work practices. This flows out of the Colgan Air crash at Buffalo last winter that killed 50 people. Pilot skill and actions are a suspected cause. Read more about the legislation here.

In the Senate, the Appropriations Committee adopted a transportation and housing bill that includes less money for high-speed rail projects than the House or the Obama administration sought, but boosted funding for the Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes flights to small cities with little traffic. Read about that at this link. 
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 11:55 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Tom Belden
Tom Belden has been reporting about Philadelphia International Airport and other air travel subjects for more than 20 years, writing columns for The Inquirer's Travel and Business sections. His reporting (with colleague Craig McCoy) on baggage handling problems in Philadelphia have been credited with helping to improve the system. His previous blog was called Road Warrior. He can reached at tbelden@phillynews.com.
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