Oct 11, 2007 8:00 pm US/Eastern
Schumer Reveals 3-Step Plan To Fix Airline Delays
Senator Lays Almost All Of Airlines' Problems On FAA
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, says he knows how to fix America's airline delay problem, and it all begins with the FAA.
AP
The holiday travel season is just around the corner, and if this past summer's air travel woes are any indication, we can expect more record delays and congestion.
Sen. Charles Schumer says he has some ideas about how to fix the problem -- immediately.
Most experienced air travelers assume their flight will be delayed because so many are. A recent Federal Aviation Administration report says one out of every four flights is late.
When asked how her travel experience was Thursday at Kennedy Airport, passenger Sylvia Takle said, "Not very positive I'm afraid. We had a four-hour flight delay."
"If you want to know why these delays occur, three letters describe it -- F-A-A and their incompetence," Schumer said.
So Schumer is proposing three things:
* Airlines should be allowed to meet. The airlines should meet and work out a sane flight schedule. Current anti-trust laws forbid such a meeting, except with FAA permission. The airlines have requested one, but the meetings have yet to happen.
* Air Czar to coordinate air traffic control. An East Coast Air Czar should be appointed to coordinate air traffic control.
* Free up air space off East Coast. The government should open up a huge swath of airspace, just off the east coast, which is used by the military for training.
"The military rarely uses it," Schumer said. "When they need it it's fine, but the rest of the time this alleyway should be available to commercial flights."
Most air travel experts agree the main issue is the sheer number of flights coming and going from New York airports.
Airlines can and do schedule as many flights as possible during peak hours, and they're reluctant to voluntarily cut back on that out of fear they're competitors will just step into those profitable time slots.
"We would ask that if they can't settle it together with the FAA, saying you get a certain amount, then the FAA lay down the law," Schumer said.
But the Air Traveler's Association says passengers don't want fewer flight options. They say the real problem is the infrastructure.
And "our" air travel problems are the nation's problems as well.
According to the FAA, one-third of the nation's air traffic passes through the New York region. Three fourths of delays around the country are caused by delays here.
WCBSTV.com's Most Popular Pages
Openly Gay Celebrities
Hooray For The Red, White And Zooom!
Hollywood Walk Of Names: Celebrity Real Names Revealed
When It Was Out To Be Out
100 Greatest Movies Of All Time
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
BONA FIDE WINTER BLAST 16 mins ago 
Speed Limits Lowered, Trains Slowed Across NJ 22 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments