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Former Department of Transportation inspector general Mary Schiavo weighs in on the Sandy's damage to airports.
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Take for full airline service to be restored joining me now for this week's on the road is Mary Schiavo -- aviation.
Attorney and former inspector general of the Department of Transportation thanks for -- being with us.
You know I remember Bol -- update bid talk about no red tape and let's cut.
Past all that all the number officials say that at LaGuardia Airport could be facing some real inspection problems before can fully reopen is that right.
Well that's right but there was good news that at least one -- -- runways.
Have opened and they have allowed flights in and out LaGuardia what has to happen after a disaster.
Like sandy is the FAA has to be sure that there runways have not sustained damage that could endanger -- that there -- the runway lighting systems and he had guidance systems for the aircraft air traffic control.
Did not sustain damage now they can be rapidly repaired it just takes money from the federal trust fund to do it.
But -- with a one runway closed it's going to be awhile before they can resume full service unless the FAA finds that with a few minor repairs it can be opened yet we have to do is a fraud -- to make sure there's no free -- -- on the runway that can cause damage.
That can be done in a matter of minutes so it's just -- on whether there's a safety issue on the one closed front line.
-- -- Newark and JFK already opened it and in LaGuardia's trailing behind them.
What is so much harder about LaGuardia.
Well they were inundated with.
Water they had water come up over the runways.
They had a lot more to deal with in terms of actual physical damage to the flight operations surfaces.
Now there are still going to face a problem of airport workers you know it's great to get to fight in but -- there's no one is Jack -- the jet bridge into the catering or clean the plane that's another problem we've experienced that in prior storms that have delayed flights even though the planes and runways were operating -- But -- gotta be the number one concern on the front lines.
Yeah there's a report out this morning New York Post united flight 397 Kennedy Airport to San Francisco missed its departure.
By hours because the pilot couldn't get from Manhattan out to the airport because of the rules saying can only have.
Three drivers to be allowed to to go three passengers -- go anywhere.
If you were redesigning LaGuardia today and building at would you put it the runways right there right next to.
A source of water they can then flood them.
-- there's so many problems with -- large LaGuardia's location that's a very old airport and and name in years gone by you know 4050 years ago.
Or sixty years ago.
-- -- that that wasn't a concern you know warriors got the water problems with -- of the water right here they've got a landfill across from the water which puts -- hazards near LaGuardia it's just not a great location for an airport.
But once an airport that close in that handy to -- city is operating -- very difficult to ever closing down just ask Washington national Reagan national that was supposed to be closed for decades ago but -- too convenient just can't do it.
While that's good stuff thank you so much Mary Schiavo.
Former inspector general with the Department of Transportation today you would she knows her -- did.
