Congestion, a travel bug symptom

A hearing on “The Outlook for Summer Air Travel: Addressing Congestion and Delay” was held before the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee. The hearing focused on problems in the National Airspace System and the steps that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines are taking to address the issues.

Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) acknowledged that aviation improvements have been made but are insufficient as evidenced by the high number of flight cancellations and delays. Rockefeller said that America’s ‘antiquated air traffic system’ was the biggest threat and noted that even Mongolia is ahead in terms of air traffic. Rockefeller went on to emphasize that the commercial airline industry was about to collapse and America should invest in the air traffic system.

Hank Krakowski, Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization of the FAA, attributed the significant airline challenges to record oil prices, a slow economy and increased competition. Krakowski said that in 2007, the aviation industry experienced the second worst year for delays since 1995.

John M. Meenan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Air Transport Association (ATA), said that the airline industry was ‘being decimated’ by the current fuel price situation. Meenan noted that the ATA has forecasted losses of approximately $10 billion for U.S. airlines and already announced 30,000 job eliminations. Meenan noted that the ripple effect from possible congestion relief in the New York air traffic area would be significant throughout the country.