Full Text Reports…

New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office

1. Federal Employees Workers’ Compensation Act: Status of Previously Identified Management Challenges. GAO-12-508R, March 21.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-508R

2. Checked Baggage Screening: TSA Has Deployed Optimal Systems at the Majority of TSA-Regulated Airports, but Could Strengthen Cost Estimates.
GAO-12-266, April 27.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-266
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590512.pdf

3. Tactical Aircraft: Comparison of F-22A and Legacy Fighter Modernization Progams. GAO-12-524, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-524
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590506.pdf

VA Gov. McDonnell: Aviation and Space Workforce Report Published
Source: Southern Governors Association

Today Governor Bob McDonnell released the Aviation and Space Workforce Development Analysis and Strategy Development. The report highlights the aviation and space industries’ current employment levels and future projections for growth. According to the report, approximately 12,000 new employees will be required to fill positions that include airline pilots, aircraft mechanics and technicians, aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers, air traffic controllers and other technical jobs that require strong science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) skills.

“The goals of the report were to determine the current size and impact of the Commonwealth’s aviation and space industry, project industry growth, identify core workforce support entities and to isolate any gaps in the current workforce,” governor McDonnell said. “We plan to implement these recommendations leading Virginia in a direction to capture a greater share of the nation’s industry growth.”

Additional goals are to enhance interest in STEM-related careers by focusing on the educational pipeline and include secondary education, increase industry visibility through promotional and marketing efforts, develop a statewide strategic plan mentorship programs to transfer institutional knowledge from the senior generation to the younger generation of the workforce as well as place former military personnel with defense contractors.

Implementation of the recommendations will be executed as a joint effort between the Department of Aviation, the Virginia Department of Education, and aviation and space industry partners. The Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Community College System identified several existing programs that support the recommendations and provided guidance on developing programs that strengthen STEM-related skills.

The report was commissioned through the collaboration of the working group-Working Smarter Alliance-which consisted of industry partners including the Office of the Secretary of Education, NASA Langley Research Center, the National Association of Manufacturers Institute and the Federal Aviation Administration.

+ Full Report (PDF)

New GAO Reports and TestimoniesSource: Government Accountability Office

+ Reports

1. U.S. Postal Service: Field Offices’ Role in Cost-Reduction and Revenue-Generation Efforts. GAO-12-506, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-506
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590405.pdf

2. Patent and Trademark Office: New User Fee Design Presents Opportunities to Build on Transparency and Communication Success. GAO-12-514R, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-514R

+ Testimonies

1. Agency Operations: Agencies Must Continue to Comply with Fiscal Laws Despite the Possibility of Sequestration, by Susan A. Poling, deputy general counsel, before the House Committee on the Budget. GAO-12-675T, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-675T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590394.pdf

2. Aviation Safety: FAA Is Taking Steps to Improve Data, but Challenges for Managing Safety Risks Remain, by Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-12-660T, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-660T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590390.pdf

3. Medicaid: Federal Oversight of Payments and Program Integrity Needs Improvement, by Carolyn L. Yocom, director health care, before the Subcommittees on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives and Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-12-674T, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-674T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590391.pdf

4. Missile Defense: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Acquisitions by Reducing Concurrency and Improving Parts Quality, by Cristina Chaplain, director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Committee on Armed Services GAO-12-600T, April 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-600T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590411.pdf

Rabies Risk Assessment of Exposures to a Bat on a Commercial Airliner — United States, August 2011
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)

On August 5, 2011, a bat flew through the cabin of a commercial airliner minutes after takeoff during an early morning flight from Wisconsin to Georgia, potentially exposing the passengers and flight crew to rabies virus. Three days later, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (WDPH) requested assistance from CDC to conduct a rabies risk assessment for the passengers, flight crew, and ground crew members associated with the flight. No one was determined to have been exposed to rabies virus based on Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines for rabies prevention (1). An environmental assessment of the Wisconsin airport found a rigorous animal control and incident documentation program and no evidence of bat infestation. Although none of the persons assessed required postexposure rabies prophylaxis in this incident, bats active in daylight or found in areas where they are not normally found (e.g., aboard an aircraft) can pose risks for rabies transmission, and public health officials should be prepared to respond to such occurrences.

At 6:45 a.m. on August 5, 2011, a commercial airliner carrying 50 passengers, two pilots, and one flight attendant departed Madison, Wisconsin, bound for Atlanta, Georgia. Shortly after takeoff, a bat flew from the rear of the aircraft through the cabin several times before being trapped in the lavatory (2). The pilots were notified, and the aircraft returned to the airport. All passengers disembarked to allow maintenance crew members to remove the bat from the aircraft. The bat avoided capture and flew out the cabin door, through the airport terminal, and was seen exiting the building through automatic doors. After a search of the aircraft cabin for additional bats, 15 passengers reboarded the aircraft; 35 remaining passengers made alternative arrangements. Because the bat was not captured, the rabies status of the animal was unknown.

Airline Quality Rating 2012 (PDF)
Source: Dr. Dean Headley, professor at Wichita State University and Dr. Brent Bowen, professor at Purdue University

The Airline Quality Rating industry score for 2011 shows an industry that has again improved in overall quality over the previous year. As an industry, performance in 2011 was the best in the 21 year history of the Airline Quality Rating. Of the 15 carriers rated in both 2010 and 2011, ten carriers improved in Airline Quality Rating scores. Frontier had the largest improvement in overall score, while Continental and Mesa had the largest decline in AQR score for 2011.

New GAO Report and TestimoniesSource: Government Accountability Office

Report

1. Homeland Security: DHS Needs Better Project Information and Coordination among Four Overlapping Grant Programs. GAO-12-303, February 28.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-303
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588964.pdf

Testimonies

1. Managing Preparedness Grants and Assessing National Capabilities: Continuing Challenges Impede FEMA’s Progress, by William O. Jenkins Jr., Homeland Security and Justice, before the House Homeland Security Committee: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee. GAO-12-526T, March 20.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-526T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/589447.pdf

2. Modernizing SSA Disability Programs: Preliminary Observations on Updates of Medical and Occupational Criteria, by Dan Bertoni, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, before the House Ways And Means Committee: Social Security Subcommittee. GAO-12-511T, March 20.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-511T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/589451.pdf

3. Aviation Safety: FAA Has An Opportunity to Enhance Safety and Improve Oversight of Initial Pilot Training, by Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., Physical Infrastructure Issues, before the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee: Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee. GAO-12-537T, March 20.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-537T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/589444.pdf

4. Joint Strike Fighter: Restructuring Added Resources and Reduced Risk, but Concurrency Is Still a Major Concern, by Mike J. Sullivan, Acquisition Sourcing Management, before the House Armed Services Committee: Tactical Air And Land Forces Subcommittee. GAO-12-525T, March 20.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-525T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/589455.pdf

Airline Passenger Travel to Nearly Double in Two Decades
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its annual forecast today projecting airline passenger travel will nearly double in the next 20 years. The report underscores the need to continue moving forward with implementation of FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) to accommodate the projected growth.

“More and more Americans are relying on air travel, and the Obama Administration is committed to making sure the U.S. can meet our growing aviation demands,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “Our investment in NextGen is the key to getting passengers and cargo to their destinations more safely, faster, and with less impact on the environment.”

The aviation standard for measuring commercial air travel volume is Revenue Passenger Miles (RPM). An RPM represents one paying passenger traveling one mile. Today’s release of the FAA Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2012-2032 projects RPMs will nearly double over the next two decades, from 815 billion in 2011 to 1.57 trillion in 2032, with an average increase of 3.2 percent per year. The number of commercial operations at FAA and contract towers is expected to increase by more than 45 percent from current levels.

+ Full Report

2012 Global aerospace and defense industry outlook
Source: Deloitte

A new report by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) Global Manufacturing Industry group entitled 2012 Global aerospace and defense industry outlook: A tale of two industries indicates optimism for commercial aircraft sector and caution for defense. The financial performance of the top global aerospace and defense companies is expected to stay flat in 2012. Despite the challenging environment, the aerospace and defense industry is likely to continue to develop game changing technology innovations, according to the report.

The commercial aircraft sector is likely to enter a prolonged upcycle in production in 2012 as a result of increasing demand for leisure and business travel, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, while the global defense market is expected to experience flat or declining growth due to anticipated decreases in military spending, principally in the United States and Europe. According to the report, the growth in the commercial aircraft industry is expected to be driven by continued production and development of next-generation aircraft programs that aim to address increasing fuel costs.

Meanwhile, continued global economic challenges coupled with revenue gaps and cost pressures may result in margin contraction for global defense players. As a result, the defense sector is likely to undergo more streamlining of its cost structure, divestiture of non-core assets, and additions of gap filling, as well as transformation acquisitions.

+ Full Report

Global Accident Rate Reaches New Low – Regional Challenges Remain
Source: International Air Transport Association (IATA)

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 2011 accident rate for Western-built jets was the lowest in aviation history, surpassing the previous mark set in 2010.

The 2011 global accident rate (measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jets) was 0.37, the equivalent of one accident every 2.7 million flights. This represented a 39% improvement compared to 2010, when the accident rate was 0.61, or one accident for every 1.6 million flights. A hull loss is an accident in which the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and not subsequently repaired for whatever reason including a financial decision by the owner.
…
Safety by the numbers:

• 2.8 billion people flew safely on 38 million flights (30 million by jet, 8 million by turboprop)
• 11 hull loss accidents involving Western-built jets compared to 17 in 2010
• 92 total accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built) down from 94 in 2010
• 5 fatal hull loss accidents involving Western-built jets down from 8 in 2010
• 22 fatal accidents (all aircraft types) versus 23 in 2010
• 486 fatalities compared to 786 in 2010
• Fatality rate dropped to 0.07 per million passengers from 0.21 in 2010 based on Western-built jet operations

+ 2011 Aviation Safety Performance (PDF)

New GAO ReportsSource: Government Accountability Office

1. Whistleblower Protection: Actions Needed to Improve DOD’s Military Whistleblower Reprisal Program. GAO-12-362, February 22.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-362
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588785.pdf

2. Airport and Airway Trust Fund: Factors Affecting Revenue Forecast Accuracy and Realizing Future FAA Expenditures. GAO-12-222, January 23.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-222
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/587867.pdf

3. Warfighter Support: DOD Needs Strategic Outcome-Related Goals and Visibility Over Its Counter-IED Efforts. GAO-12-280, February 22.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-280
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588804.pdf

4. Emergency Communications: Various Challenges Likely to Slow Implementation of a Public Safety Broadband Network. GAO-12-343, February 22.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-343
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588794.pdf

5. National Preparedness: Countermeasures for Thermal Burns. GAO-12-304R, February 22.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-304R

Air Travel Consumer Report (January-December 2011) (PDF)
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
The Air Travel Consumer Report is a monthly product of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings (OAEP). The report is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by the airlines.

The report is divided into six sections (Flight Delays, Mishandled Baggage, Oversales, Consumer Complaints, Customer Service Reports to the Transportation Security Administration, and Airline Reports of the Loss, Injury, or Death of Animals During Air Transportation). The sections that deal with flight delays, mishandled baggage and oversales are based on data collected by the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The section that deals with consumer complaints is based on data compiled by the OAEP’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD). The section that deals with customer service reports to the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is based on data provided by TSA. The section that deals with animal incidents during air transport is based on reports required to be submitted by airlines to the ACPD. Each section of the report is preceded by a brief explanation of how to read and understand the information provided.

New GAO Reports and TestimoniesSource: Government Accountability Office

+ Reports

1. Workforce Investment Act: Innovative Collaborations between Workforce Boards and Employers Helped Meet Local Needs. GAO-12-97, January 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-97
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/587810.pdf

2. Air Traffic Control Modernization: Management Challenges Associated with Program Costs and Schedules Could Hinder NextGen Implementation. GAO-12-223, February 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-223
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588626.pdf

3. Senate Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 Transactions. GAO-12-271R, February 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-271R

4. Safety Effects of Less Prescriptive Requirements for Low-Stress Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines Are Uncertain. GAO-12-389R, February 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-389R

+ Testimonies

1. Workforce Investment Act: Innovative Collaborations between Workforce Boards and Employers Helped Meet Urgent Local Workforce Needs by Andy Sherrill, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, And Pensions. GAO-12-419T, February 16.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-419T

2. National Nuclear Security Administration: Observations on NNSA’s Management and Oversight of the Nuclear Security Enterprise, by Gene Aloise, Natural Resources and Environment, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-12-473T, February 16
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-473T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588647.pdf

The Department of Homeland Security has opportunities to interact with, observe, and gather information from individuals seeking to enter the United States. Such information could contribute to external U.S. government watchlisting efforts, which are used to inform the federal government’s interaction with U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. We reviewed these activities for seven department components to determine whether effective processes and standards exist; whether information the department collects and disseminates to federal partners is relevant, timely, and accurate; and which external federal departments and agencies receive component-generated information.

Although the department is predominantly a consumer of watchlist information, all seven components contribute to nominating individuals and to enhancing and maintaining watchlist information. The department recently established a Watchlisting Cell to serve as the central coordination point for all department nomination and maintenance efforts.

As the cell further refines its operational capabilities, it is necessary to develop guidance, provide advanced analysis, and ensure that departmental efforts do not contradict current component interactions with federal watchlisting entities. The Watchlisting Cell has demonstrated value and is streamlining processes in collaboration with department components. The department’s most significant contribution to the watchlisting community is the collection and analysis of encounter packages. This information is critical to enhancing existing watchlist database records; however, quality and legibility issues exist with how this information is currently collected. The Watchlisting Cell should ensure that its resources are sufficient to provide relevant, accurate, and timely information to internal and external watchlisting partners. We are making ten recommendations to improve the department’s contributions to the federal government’s watchlisting process.

FAA Issues Final Rule on Pilot FatigueSource: Federal Aviation Administration

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Michael Huerta today announced a sweeping final rule that overhauls commercial passenger airline pilot scheduling to ensure pilots have a longer opportunity for rest before they enter the cockpit.

…
The Department of Transportation identified the issue of pilot fatigue as a top priority during a 2009 airline Safety Call to Action following the crash of Colgan Air flight 3407. The FAA launched an aggressive effort to take advantage of the latest research on fatigue to create a new pilot flight, duty and rest proposal, which the agency issued on September 10, 2010.

+ Fact Sheet

+ Final Rule (PDF)
+ Regulatory Evaluation (PDF)

New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office

1. Highway Emergency Relief: Strengthened Oversight of Project Eligibility Decisions Needed.  GAO-12-45, November 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-45
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1245high.pdf

2. Defense Contract Audits: Actions Needed to Improve DCAA’s Access to and Use of Defense Company Internal Audit Reports.  GAO-12-88, December 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-88
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1288high.pdf

3. Transportation Security: Actions Needed to Address Limitations in TSA’s Transportation Worker Security Threat Assessments and Growing Workload.  GAO-12-60, December 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-60
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1260high.pdf

4. Transportation Security Infrastructure Modernization May Enhance DHS Screening Capabilities, but It Is Too Early to Assess Results.  GAO-12-192R, December 8.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-192R

“Better Airports” Package Launched
Source: European Union

The European Commission today announced a comprehensive package of measures to help increase the capacity of Europe’s airports, reduce delays and improve the quality of services offered to passengers. The measures address the quality of services passengers and airlines receive on the ground before they take off and after they land (for example, baggage handling, check-in, refuelling), the transparency of decisions on airport noise, as well as the efficiency of the complex network of take-off and landing slots that make up every journey.

Vice President Siim Kallas, European Commissioner responsible for Transport said: ‘Europe’s airports are facing a capacity crunch. If business and the travelling public are to take best advantage of the air network, we have to act now. 70% of all delays to flights are already caused by problems on the ground not in the air. On present trends, nineteen key European airports will be full to bursting by 2030. The resulting congestion could mean delays for half of all flights across the network. The status quo is not an option for airports in Europe. Faced with intense global competition, if we do not change the way we do business, we may not be doing business at all.”

The package consists of a policy summary document and three legislative measures, on slots, ground-handling and noise.

New GAO ReportSource: Government Accountability Office

Next Generation Air Transportation: Collaborative Efforts with European Union Generally Mirror Effective Practices, but Near-Term Challenges Could Delay Implementation

GAO-12-48, Nov 28, 2011

Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF) E-Report

New GAO Reports and Testimony
Source: Government Accountability Office

+ Reports

1. Initial Pilot Training: Better Management Controls Are Needed to Improve FAA Oversight.  GAO-12-117, November 4.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-117
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d12117high.pdf

2. Federal Contracting: OMB’s Acquisition Savings Initiative Had Results, but Improvements Needed.  GAO-12-57, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-57
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1257high.pdf

3. Financial Audit: Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Fiscal Years 2011 and 2010 Financial Statements.   GAO-12-161, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-161
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d12161high.pdf

4. Financial Audit: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Fiscal Year 2011 Financial Statements.  GAO-12-186, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-186
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d12186high.pdf

+ Testimony

1. OPM Retirement Modernization: Longstanding Information Technology Management Weaknesses Need to Be Addressed, by Valerie C. Melvin, director, Information Management and Technology Resources Issues, before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy.  GAO-12-226T, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-226T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d12226thigh.pdf

+ Special Publication

1. U.S. Government Accountability Office: Performance and Accountability Report, Fiscal Year 2011.  GAO-12-4SP, November 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-4SP

Recent Developments for Military Airships
Source: Congressional Budget Office

During the past decade’s operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military has come to rely heavily on the continuous or nearly continuous presence overhead of both manned and unmanned aircraft to support ground troops. Unmanned aircraft that remain aloft in particular locations (or “orbits”) have been primarily used to provide timely information about activities on the ground and to attack ground targets on short notice. Most prominent among these aircraft are the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) fleets of unmanned Predators, Reapers, and Global Hawks; however, satellites and manned conventional aircraft, including fighters and long-range bombers, have also contributed.

+ Full Report (PDF)

New GAO Reports and Testimony
Source: Government Accountability Office

+ Reports

1.  Environmental Justice:  EPA Needs to Take Additional Actions to Help Ensure Effective Implementation.  GAO-12-77, October 6.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-77
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1277high.pdf

2.  Federal Housing Administration:  Improvements Needed in Risk Assessment and Human Capital Management.  GAO-12-15, November 7.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-15
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d1215high.pdf

+ Testimony

1.  Next Generation Air Transportation System:  Linking Test Facilities Can Help Leverage Resources and Improve Technology Transfer Efforts, by Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., director, physical infrastructure issues, before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  GAO-12-187T, November 7.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-187T