As we reflected on the many scientific advances of the past century, one of the more remarkable achievements has been the evolution of aviation. From the first manned flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903, to the next generation of wide-body Boeing 777 s to be introduced in 2003, the United States continues to lead the world in aviation innovation, safety, and efficiency. However, the energy and creativity that characterized the first century of aviation will have to continue into this new century if we are to address its challenges and maintain our technical and economic leadership in international aviation. The demand for aviation continues to grow at a remarkable rate of three to five percent annually. As any air traveler can tell you, delays and cancellations are becoming increasingly common.
Delays are costly for businesses and inconvenient for everyone.
Further compounding the congestion problem is the aging of our current interdependent aviation system. In January, an air traffic control system glitch at the Washington En Route Center grounded flights throughout the Eastern Seaboard and caused delays as far as Chicago and Miami. I have been working with the FAA to fix this problem locally with an upgrade to the terminal radar approach control system at Reagan National Airport. Despite several set-backs, new color displays have been delivered and are scheduled to be operational by September. While these improvements address some of the immediate hardware problems, Reagan National, like other airports, is still in a holding pattern waiting for a software system upgrade that will enhance air traffic control operations.