FAA reform proposed
     WASHINGTON - April 18, 1998 01:49 a.m. EDT -- The Clinton admin-
 istration wants to put the Federal Aviation Administration on a more
 businesslike footing by having the agency charge fees for its
 services, Vice President Al Gore says.
     Details of the proposal, which Gore announced Friday during a
 runway dedication at Memphis (Tenn.) International Airport, will be
 released Monday, officials said.
     President Clinton plans to offer legislation that would make the
 FAA more businesslike and make the air traffic control system more
 performance-based, Gore said, adding that both will be "highly re-
 sponsive to user needs and will assure that the users of the aviation
 system receive good value in return for the fees they pay."
     The proposals stem from the administration's National Performance
 Review, a 1993 study examined how government could act more like a
 business.
     The plan appears aimed at addressing a common complaint within
 the aviation community that the FAA is subject to the funding whims
 of Congress.
     Congress boosted the FAA's 1998 budget by $785 million to $9.1
 billion, but that was only after the 1996 ValuJet and TWA Flight 800
 accidents raised questions about airline safety. The agency also has
 complained that it lacks adequate funding to modernize its air
 traffic control system.
     The way the FAA spends its money also has drawn criticism. Its
 plan to replace 1960s-era radar equipment with satellite-based tech-
 nology is badly behind schedule and over budget.
     The administration proposal comes as the FAA, with some 48,000
 employees, is trying to change its image and establish a focused
 safety agenda.
     The FAA's image suffered badly when the agency initially insisted
 ValuJet was operating safely shortly before it decided to ground the
 discount carrier.
     The FAA has tried to rebound, most recently on Tuesday when Gore,
 Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and FAA Administrator Jane
 Garvey announced their "Safer Skies" initiative. Developed jointly
 with aircraft makers and the airlines, it is designed to fix the most
 common causes of aircraft accidents.
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