Rep. Gabe Vasquez Sends Letter to FAA Demanding Reversal of Decommissioning of Critical Air Safety Technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) partnered with Rep. Stansbury and Rep. Leger Fernández to urge the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to not decommission critical air safety technology used by the Double Eagle Airport II (DEII) in Albuquerque. The FAA recently initiated a study to decommission the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Double Eagle Airport without providing answers regarding the recent airspace closure and plane crash incidents in and around New Mexico airspace. Pilots in New Mexico use both ILS and GPS to land due to the unique challenges posed by flying commercial aircraft near military bases.
“We respectfully urge the FAA to maintain use of this critical technology given the unique demands of New Mexico that require aviation redundancy to maintain public safety and to provide our office with a briefing on airspace safety,” wrote the members. “In light of this change, the recent crash outside Ruidoso and other recent aviation incidents involving navigation technology issues, more information is needed before moving forward.”
The FAA recently began a study to determine whether ILS technology should be decommissioned at the DEII, which conducts tens of thousands of flights annually. ILS is a ground based guidance system for aircrafts typically used when pilots are unable to find the runway. It complements modern GPS-enabled navigation that only provides lateral guidance to the runway. While GPS-enabled navigation works in most conditions, New Mexico has its own set of unique airspace challenges due to nearby military bases that force a need for both ILS and GPS.
“The FAA has still not provided sufficient answers regarding the recent airspace closure in El Paso and plane crash in Ruidoso – and has still not shown that it is improving coordination with other agencies or ensuring that my constituents’ are safe,” said Vasquez. “In light of their recent failures, the public must have a lot more information before the FAA orders decommissioning any navigation safety tools or resources for our pilots.”
“DEII plays a critical role in our region’s aviation system as a reliever airport for the Sunport and an important facility for flight training and public safety operations. Maintaining ILS capability is essential to ensuring the airport can continue to serve these functions safely and effectively, particularly when reliable navigation is needed most,” said Manny Manriquez, Director of Aviation, City of Albuquerque.
Read the full letter HERE.
Rep. Vasquez continues to lead Congressional oversight efforts following multiple aviation incidents affecting southern New Mexico, including:
- Demanding answers from the Department of Defense and Department of Transportation on their coordination with each other to keep our skies safe.
- Securing an NTSB briefing on July 14 after demanding greater transparency and answers about the deadly Ruidoso plane crash.
- Pressing the FAA and Department of Defense for accountability following the February closure of El Paso airspace.
- Successfully secured passage of an amendment to the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Department of Defense to improve coordination with the FAA before testing military technologies that could impact civilian aviation.
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