Trump administration escalates dispute with airlines over coronavirus data Presented by Raytheon Intelligence & Space

With help from Tanya Snyder

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Quick Fix

— U.S. airlines and the Trump administration are locked in an escalating dispute over who should be responsible for collecting information from international travelers to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.

— Vice President Mike Pence will meet with airline executives this week to discuss the coronavirus.

— Amtrak’s new CEO is a transportation veteran who most recently led cargo air carrier Atlas Air.

A message from Raytheon Intelligence & Space: As new technologies and new threats emerge, Raytheon Intelligence & Space is proud to lead an alliance of innovators and industry leaders committed to helping the FAA modernize, secure and expand our national airspace. Learn how the Alliance for Innovation & Resiliency is supporting the network that supports us all.

IT’S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on all things trains, planes, automobiles and ports. Get in touch with tips and feedback at [email protected] or @samjmintz.

“Show me a house with a yard full o' rusty cars / And you know there'll be a coffee perkin' on a rusty stove / And you walk right in, sit down and feel right at home.”

LISTEN HERE: Follow MT’s playlist on Spotify. What better way to start your day than with songs (picked by us and readers) about roads, railways, rivers and runways?

Coronavirus

ESCALATING DISPUTE BETWEEN CDC, AIRLINES: The Trump administration is ramping up its pressure on airlines to find a way to send along more complete passenger data to assist with coronavirus efforts. The issue has been simmering for weeks, after the CDC issued a rule compelling airlines to provide certain information about international travelers. Airlines have pushed back that the onus should be on the federal government to collect that information.

Now administration officials are concerned about the incomplete and delayed data about arriving international passengers. The Washington Post reported that officials have raised the alarm at meetings of the U.S. coronavirus task force and that the issue has also been flagged by acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli.

The airline industry is sticking by its argument. "Building a website and developing an app will be the quickest way to obtain verifiable and accurate contact data," said Nick Calio, Airlines for America president, in a statement to POLITICO on Monday evening. "Other high tech countries have accomplished this and so should the U.S."

Airline executives are meeting with Pence on Wednesday to discuss the coronavirus, Reuters reported. Officials from American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways will attend. Pence, who is leading the federal government’s response to the epidemic, will also meet with cruise line executives in Florida on Saturday.

SCOTT WANTS MORE AIRPORT SCREENINGS IN FLORIDA: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Monday asked DHS to “increase screening procedures” for the disease at Florida’s international airports. “We have to do everything we can to prevent the virus from spreading in our state — and that starts with the thorough screening of travelers,” he said in a statement.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS UNION WORKING WITH MEDICAL ADVISER: The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American Airlines flight attendants, brought on a leading aviation physician to advise its members on fighting the spread of the disease. Kris Belland, former president of the Aerospace Medical Association, wrote a letter to members suggesting frequent hand washing or sanitizing, restraining from touching their faces, and cleaning surfaces regularly with disinfectant. “While I do not believe we need to be overly concerned about the spread of coronavirus,” Belland said in a statement, those steps are “an easy way to help protect yourself and those around you.”

Rail

AMTRAK SHAKEUP: The passenger rail company is getting a new leader, and is once again looking to the skies. CEO Richard Anderson, a former Delta Air Lines executive, is stepping down and will be replaced by William Flynn, who retired as president and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings in January.

Anderson’s tenure was marked by record ridership and revenue and the promise of breaking even on operations for the first time this year, our Tanya Snyder reports. But it hasn’t been all smooth riding. “He has been unable to arrive at an agreement with the federal government over funding new bridge and tunnel infrastructure between New York and New Jersey, and he presided over repeated 'summers of hell' at Penn Station where repairs and maintenance work have caused service disruptions,” Tanya wrote.

Flynn isn’t without railroad experience, as he held several senior positions at the freight railroad CSX. His time at Atlas was punctuated by a crash that killed three crew members last year and has led to serious concerns about the company’s pilot training and hiring. Atlas has also been in a contentious contract dispute with its pilots, who claim there is low morale. Flynn starts at Amtrak on April 15.

Transit

SUBSIDIZED TRANSIT COMING TO THE BELTWAY? D.C. council member Charles Allen, backed by a majority of the council, wants to give every resident $100 a month to use for public transportation, paid for with surplus tax revenue, according to the Washington Post.

What does Mayor Muriel Bowser think? Not totally clear. Bowser’s deputy put out a statement saying she supports “free transportation options” but didn’t weigh in specifically on the bill. Her administration has been working on its own study of the impact of low-income transit subsidies on transportation equity.

But the Allen bill goes further than what her study is examining — it wouldn’t put a means test on the $100 subsidy, which some early detractors of the plan have criticized. “I don't understand why rich people would get a subsidy to ride the metro?” one person asked on Twitter. “If someone doesn’t want to, they don’t have to sign up for benefit,” Allen responded. “But I hope everyone will. Public transit isn’t for others — it’s for everyone.”

Surface Transportation

TELL US MORE: House appropriators are pushing the Transportation Department for more details about a new short-term plan to repair Amtrak’s existing Hudson River tunnels, POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins reports from New Jersey. Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) along with Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and David Price (D-N.C.), who leads the Transportation-HUD Subcommittee, say they were surprised when Secretary Elaine Chao revealed during a hearing last week that the Trump administration was pushing Amtrak to pursue repairs of the existing tunnel.

“The proposal is a significant departure from the Hudson Tunnel Project our constituents, Amtrak, and the Department have been working towards for several years,” the three wrote in a letter to Chao. “We appreciate your statements in support of a second, new tunnel under the Hudson River. However, we need to learn more from the Department about this new proposal.”

FIRST IN MT: The “benefits of transportation” are on display on a new website from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, complete with a clickable map to find success stories from each state DOT. It’s part of a new campaign to drum up support for a new surface bill — and a new revenue stream — to keep the federal surface transportation program going past the Sept. 30 deadline. “Our industry is trying to do a better job of communicating the value of transportation,” said Lloyd Brown, AASHTO director of communications and marketing. “With reauthorization of the FAST Act uncertain — and time running down — we need to get busy.”

Automobiles

BIG BUCKS FOR SELF-DRIVING: Waymo announced its first round of external investment, with Silver Lake, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Mubadala Investment Company leading in the initial $2.25 billion close.

Security

10 MILLION FLYERS DEEP: TSA’s PreCheck reached a big milestone on Monday: 10 million members. There was an 18 percent increase in new membership from March 2019 to February 2020, compared with the same period the year before, according to TSA. “The more individuals who are enrolled in TSA PreCheck, the more we can focus resources on individuals who more likely pose a risk to aviation security. It’s better security and a better experience for travelers,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a statement.

The Autobahn

— “Kahnawake rail blockade remains in place after draft agreement reached.” Global News.

— “Americans keep buying cars, but coronavirus concerns loom over industry.” Reuters.

— “Snowy Wyoming highway pileup kills 3, injures dozens.” Associated Press.

— “Boeing goes on hiring spree in high-stakes gamble on 737 MAX.” Bloomberg.

— “Coronavirus claims another victim: Major maritime conference.” Freightwaves.

A message from Raytheon Intelligence & Space: From drones to hypersonics to commercial space flight, tomorrow’s airspace will be filled with new technologies and new challenges. Preparing for them means modernizing — and securing — an aging network architecture. That’s why we’ve formed the Alliance for Innovation & Resiliency, a network of innovators and industry leaders committed to helping the FAA protect tomorrow’s skies. It all starts with a unique portfolio of automation, surveillance, navigation and landing solutions. Learn more.

The Countdown

DOT appropriations run out in 211 days. The FAA reauthorization expires in 1,308 days. Highway and transit policy is up for renewal in 211 days.

Follow us on Twitter Kathryn Wolfe @kathrynwolfe



Sam Mintz @samjmintz



Stephanie Beasley @steph_beasley



Brianna Gurciullo @brigurciullo



Tanya Snyder @tsnyderdc