Rep. Davids visits New Century AirCenter ahead of FAA reauthorization deadline

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids visited New Century AirCenter Wednesday ahead of the upcoming Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization.

“Our entire economy relies heavily on reliable air travel of people and goods to keep our communities moving and maintain a strong domestic supply chain,” Davids said.

Davids alongside recently appointed Johnson County Airport Commission Executive Director Bryan Johnson and Airport Commission Deputy Director Larry Peet toured the new grounds for the recently approved Cnano Tech Center and the 81-year-old air traffic control tower.

Davids is preparing to negotiate legislation before the 2018 FAA reauthorization expires Sept. 30. Davids is a member of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“I am focused on reauthorizing the FAA, so Kansans are protected financially, feel safe while flying and have access to good-paying, aviation manufacturing jobs,” she said.

Davids said the legislation would benefit New Century AirCenter and all airports in the KC metro area.

Johnson County officials have prioritized the 81-year-old air traffic control center for upgrades because of structural and safety deficiencies.

Peet said listed several of the control center’s deficiencies, including an obstructed view of the tower’s west side and outdated technology. Another problem he pointed out was tower access, which was only accessible by climbing a spiral staircase, which was not compliant with the Americans for Disability Act.

“Most towers have an elevator,” he said. “That’s a huge thing.”

Peet said most towers have a 360-degree view.

“They are more focused on the airfield side,” he said. “The traffic pattern is that way in the Navy. This wall equates 10 miles of non-visible airspace the tower doesn’t have out that side. There is low-visibility issues.”

Peet said the flight strips, which were done by hand, and should be automated.

“When you go somewhere in an airplane, if you are in a jet, you’re flying above 18,000 feet (and) you have to have an air traffic control clearance to get there,” he said. “Those clearances are given electronically now.”

Peet said in order to get the routes the planes are supposed to fly, the air traffic controllers at New Century have to call KCI Airport’s departure control and hand write it.

“Normally in a modern tower, it would come over on a computer, and they can print it out,” he said.

Three air-traffic controllers working during Davids’ visit to the tower showed her around to the equipment and older technology they were currently using to perform their jobs. They all work through a contractor who works for the FAA.

Executive Director Bryan Johnson said Davids was instrumental in supporting the passage of the FAA reauthorization bill, which directly impacts New Century.

“This bill addresses prioritizing general aviation airports and provides a funding mechanism to address our nation’s GA hangar shortage and requiring 100LL be available at airports until an unleaded fuel replacement for the fleet is widely available,” he said.

Davids said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) was the one who got the ball rolling toward funding for a new tower.

“It’s really important to have Sen. Moran backing the project,” she said. “Because then in the next round of funding there is upgrades.”

Davids also visited the New Century Commerce Center, which will house Cnano Technology USA, a paste manufacturer for electric batteries, which was recently approved by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners to expand its operations. The operation will create 112 jobs.

In July, Davids supported bipartisan legislation to fund the FAA for the next five years and provide new guidance and standards for the agency. The legislation would also improve airline customer protections and accessibility, increase aviation safety standards and strengthen the workforce and manufacturing. Provisions are also included to help prevent runway near-misses, which are often caused by air-traffic controllers stretched thin because of a nationwide shortage.

Davids also introduced an amendment to the reauthorization package to ensure transparency of airline fees for consumers throughout the ticketing process.