WASHINGTON: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said it would be able to keep in service 149 small airport control towers and avoid worker furloughs after Congress reinstated funding lost in the “sequester” cuts.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement that the April 27 action by Congress to reverse the sudden, severe cuts for the aviation regulator would avoid service cuts that threatened to tie up airlines and airports heading into the summer vacation season.
The April 27 legislation “will allow the FAA to transfer sufficient funds to end employee furloughs and keep the 149 low-activity contract towers originally slated for closure in June open for the remainder of fiscal year 2013,” LaHood said.
The legislation provides the FAA with some $253m through October “to prevent reduced operations and staffing” as a result of the arbitrary cuts, which came about when lawmakers failed to reach a broad budget deal this year.
For the few days the cuts took place, there was a surge in complaints over flight delays and airport backups around the country.
Germany probes potato price fixing
BERLIN: Germany has launched a probe into suspected potato price fixing over the past decade which may have cost consumers and farmers hundreds of millions of euros, local media reported yesterday.
The national competition regulator is investigating allegations that at least nine production and distribution plants illegally agreed on prices for deliveries to grocery chains as well as those paid to farmers, press reports said.
The Suddeutsche Zeitung said the profits notched up by those involved in the alleged cartel — dubbed the “Kartoffel Kartel” by the press — could amount to hundreds of millions of euros.
Bild newspaper said investigators had raided the premises of the nine companies and that another five risked fines for links with the cartel, suggesting the illicit gains could run up to ¤1bn.
Chrysler recalls 469,000 SUVs
Washington: Chrysler Group LLC is recalling about 469,000 SUVs worldwide to update software after some vehicles’ circuit boards were found to be transmitting signals that trigger inadvertent gearshifts to neutral, the No. 3 US carmaker said yesterday.
Included are 2006 to 2010 Jeep Commanders and 2005 to 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokees, of which about 295,000 are in the US, 28,500 are in Canada and 4,200 are in Mexico. The remaining 141,000 are outside of North America.
Chrysler also said it is recalling 532 2013 Ram 1500 pickup trucks in the US and Canada, a third of which remain in dealer inventories, to inspect and possibly replace windshield defrosting and defogging components.
The company said it is recalling about 5,330 right-hand-drive 2008 to 2012 Jeep Wranglers to install dust shields to prevent dust buildup that could compromise airbag operation. Agencies
