WHAT'S NEW
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has formed a coalition of business, tourism and airline officials to lobby for full funding of initiatives aimed at overhauling the country's air-traffic control system and reducing delays that plague the region's airports.
The newly formed National Alliance to Advance NextGen, as the modernization plan is called, is composed of nearly 100 organizations. NextGen is an advanced Global Positioning System that helps air-traffic controllers move aircraft more efficiently and is a key component in the Federal Aviation Administration's plans to upgrade the national airspace system.
As part of an FAA reauthorization bill, funding for NextGen is expected to require $8 billion to $10 billion for the first 10 years, and $15 billion to $22 billion through 2025, according to the coalition. The group also called for the technology to be deployed in the New York region first, since a large portion of the nation's delays can be traced to three airports — JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty — in the area.
• Even as the nation's air traffic fell, SuperShuttle, the shared van service company, says its business improved in 2008 due to travelers looking for cheaper transportation options to the airport. Its passenger volume at the 11 airports where it has operated at least a year rose by 2.3% from 2007. Air traffic at these airports fell 6.6%, it says.
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