Aviation

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) read a letter from an anonymous whistle blower Thursday, that said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is pressuring union employees to all take the same furlough day off so that air travel shuts down.

“Management at FAA is trying to make union employees all take the same day off … so that the sequester can hurt,” Coburn said on the Senate floor. “How cynical, how un-American is that?”

The American Bus Association (ABA) is trying to woo airline passengers who are frustrated by flight delays this week to take long-distance buses to reach their destinations.

More than 2,000 flights have been delayed this week because of furloughs that have been instituted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to the sequester.

The Washington, D.C.-based ABA said airline passengers should consider other modes of transportation for their trips — namely buses.

"As flight delays become more frequent and get longer because of the government’s sequestration and inability to reach an agreement on the nation’s finances, there’s a much better alternative than sitting in a delayed airplane on the ramp waiting to take off or holding before the pilots are cleared to land," ABA said in a statement. "Ride a motorcoach."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is open to legislation that would soften the blow the sequester is having on air travel. 

Delays at airports around the country have been blamed on air traffic controller furloughs from the sequester.

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The group said the legislation would allow the FAA to move funds between its accounts to prevent furloughs. 

Flight delays that result from the sequester could cost the U.S. 83,000 jobs, the group that lobbies for the travel industry said Wednesday.

The U.S. Travel Association said that the current level of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) staffing reductions will put 83,000 jobs and $9.3 billion of economic activity at risk if the FAA's air traffic controller furloughs continue.

The furloughs have created over 2,000 flight delays since they were first implemented on Sunday, according to figures released by the FAA.

Travel Association President Roger Dow said his organization was "deeply concerned" about the impact of the furloughs on tourism and travel in the U.S. 

Airline passengers experienced flight delays in Chicago, Las Vegas and Tampa on Wednesday as air traffic controller furloughs reached their fourth day, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The FAA said it was short staffed on Wednesday in Miami; Los Angeles; Tampa, Fla. and Chicago.

The agency said it was delaying flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, as well as airports in Las Vegas and Tampa, as a result of the staffing issues.

"Controllers will space planes farther apart so they can manage traffic with current staff, which will lead to delays at airports including Chicago O’Hare, Las Vegas and Tampa," the agency said in a statement. "The FAA also expects delays at a number of other airports because of weather and winds." 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is pushing attacks blaming Senate Democrats for current airline delays.

The NRSC sent out emails against four Democrats blaming them for not acting to avoid the furloughs air traffic controllers are facing due to sequestration.

The targets: Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Kay Hagan (N.C.), and Rep. Bruce Braley (Iowa), Democrats' anointed candidate for Iowa's open Senate seat.

Senate Democrats and Republicans offered competing bills to avoid the cuts to air traffic control, though neither could get enough support to pass. Pryor, Landrieu and Hagan voted for the original bipartisan compromise that created sequestration — as did two GOP Senate candidates, Reps. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).

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Congress is getting an earful from hoteliers who fear sequester-induced flight delays will ruin the tourism season.