Peters Announces New York Aviation Czar

Marie Kennington-Gardiner of Staten Island has been tapped to serve as director of the New York Integration Office, created by the department last year as part of a coordinated effort to address chronic aviation delays in the New York region.
In addition to appointing an aviation czar, the Department of Transportation implemented temporary hourly limits at JFK and Newark airports to allow for more flights more evenly spread out during the day, a series of rules to protect passengers and a new task force focused on helping airlines and airports do a better job of coordinating with each other and taking care of passengers in the event of lengthy ground delays.
As the newly appointed aviation “czar,” Kennington-Gardiner will coordinate regional airspace issues and all projects and initiatives addressing problems of congestion and delays in New York. A New York native, she most recently served as director of the Lower Manhattan Recovery Office to coordinate federal emergency transit investments following the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Prior FAA experience includes senior management positions in three FAA regions representing the entire East Coast.