After a series of aviation incidents and accidents this year left travelers on edge, the federal government has unveiled an ambitious plan to upgrade and overhaul America’s air traffic control systems.
This year’s focus on aviation safety began with a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., in late January, when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet, killing all 67 people onboard both aircraft. This was followed by several other aviation incidents that drove headlines for months.
Then, a series of critical equipment failures at Newark Liberty International Airport’s air traffic control caused controllers to lose contact with planes in three separate incidents between late April and mid-May….