US Dept. of Transportation submitted a $68 billion FY09 budget request to Congress including $14.6 billion to fund FAA, down from $14.9 billion enacted for FY08. The budget for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1 includes $9.67 billion for FAA's Air Traffic Organization, $2.1 billion for safety and operations, $2.75 billion for airport grants and $171 million for research, engineering and development. The agency said it plans to devote $688 million in FY09 to development of the Next-Gen satellite-based ATC system, more than triple the $212 million it plans to invest in modernizing ATC in FY08. The proposal for airport grants, known as the Airport Improvement Program, is $765 million lower than the $3.52 billion enacted for FY08. Airports Council International-North America President Greg Principato said that the "proposed cuts" mean "more congestion and delays" and increased investment in infrastructure is needed to upgrade a system "stretched to its limit." FAA is in the awkward position of waiting on reauthorization legislation; its authorization officially expired Sept. 30, 2007, and temporary authorization is set to lapse on Feb. 29. The agency submitted its FY09 budget request using terminology and calculations that assume Congress will pass reauthorization legislation, but it is possible FAA will be forced to operate under temporary authorization for a long period. Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell said the budget submitted this week will allow FAA to hire more than 300 new air traffic controllers in FY09 and will "keep the [transition to a] Next-Gen ATC system in high gear." by Aaron Karp