TOPICS
TOPICS
Panel doesn't expect letup in air traffic congestion
As House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., warned that "public patience is running short" with airlines, his panel's Aviation Subcommittee members Wednesday voiced pessimism about easing air traffic congestion.
A recent report from the Transportation Department's inspector general, Calvin Scovell, praised Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and President Bush for taking steps to ease congestion, such as capping the number of flights out of New York's Kennedy International Airport and Newark (N.J.) Liberty International Airport, but said the FAA needed to take more steps to ease congestion as the summer travel season ramps up.
The report suggested DOT negotiate a plan with the Defense Department for use of "special use airspace" to open up additional lanes; update capacity benchmarks for major airports, which has not been done since 2004; train large numbers of new controllers and address controller productivity, and improve taxi-way use.
The report singled out several airports for concern during the summer. Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello, D-Ill., wondered how Northwest Airlines expected to get 56 scheduled departures out on time in a 15-minute window from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
DOT General Counsel D.J. Gribbin said the department had been penalizing airlines for chronically delayed flights, but Scovell said that the department's approach leaves "much to be desired," and told Costello he knew of no instance of DOT taking legal action against airlines that engage in "deceptive practices," such as scheduling chronically delayed flights, since 2001.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., attacked Gribbin for what he saw was the department's "proposing to propose" to take action, and accused officials of waiting to hand the problem off to a new administration. He said the idea of letting the free market play out was not working.
"Why do we fear regulation so much?" he said, suggesting forcing airlines to notify customers of chronically delayed flights at point of purchase and letting customers know of hidden fees, such as meals and additional luggage checking.
Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member John Mica blamed the Senate for not passing an FAA reauthorization bill, and chided the Senate for not voting to confirm Robert Sturgell as FAA administrator.
Mica said that anyone who thinks progress is coming "is smoking the funny weed."
COMMENTS
- As someone who travels often to do work for the federal government, I want to second the suggestion that we need to invest and improve our rail systems. The time I waste sitting in airports could be better spent getting to my destination by train. For medium distance travel, I often rent a car, at government expense and get to work faster than I would by plane. Jeanne Posted April 13, 2008 12:35 PM
- There is an elegant solution to airport congestion currently being implemented by the FAA. By adhering to the safety guidelines and the removal of unsafe aircraft from the skies (3000 flights were cancelled by American Airlines this week), the FAA is reducing cognestion at the airports. What a brilliant solution, adherence to safety policy and procedures. Retired in Tx Posted April 11, 2008 12:50 PM
- Maybe they should start looking at rail as a viable alternative in some areas (especially the East and West coasts). Of course that would mean telling the railroads that they would HAVE to let passenger trains have the right of way (which would mean rebuilding A LOT of sidings and trackage). Michelle Posted April 11, 2008 10:21 AM
