Sen. Rockefeller: We have only about 3-4 weeks of air travel left in this country [View All]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-faa-faces-partial-shutdown-at-midnight-airfares-wont-be-taxed-20110722,0,1127507.story

Portions of the Federal Aviation Administration will shut down at midnight -- putting nearly 4,000 people temporarily out of work and allowing airline passengers to buy tickets without taxes -- unless Congress can resolve a partisan dispute over legislation to temporarily extend the agency's operating authority.

... Whatever happens in Washington, airlines will still operate as normal and air traffic controllers would remain on the job.

... But Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the FAA, said the agency "estimates that it could only operate air traffic and support services through mid-August."

"This would mean services to smaller areas like mine -- West Virginia -- would need to draw down in the near term so that the FAA can focus on primary traffic. That's not something we would look forward to," Rockefeller said in a speech on the Senate floor.