Bush Announces Air Changes Today in Time For Turkey Day

[Matt Molnar]

Bush Aims To Prevent Air Travel Meltdowns
Will Announce Air Traffic Control Changes Before Thanksgiving; Targets Northeast

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2007

(CBS) President Bush Thursday will announce a sweeping government response to record flight delays, reports White House correspondent Peter Maer. A White House official tells CBS News the plan will confront next week's holiday rush. It will also deal with longer-term issues.

The administration will call for new FAA air traffic control efforts to respond to non-weather-related delays. In a radio interview with CBS News, Air Traveler's Association president David Stempler said the administration "will make some quick air traffic control improvements to try to get a lot more efficiency for the Thanksgiving and holiday period." Stempler said future plans include new approaches and departure paths at New York's JFK Airport and access to air space currently used by the military. Read More...

[Futterman]

In a radio interview with CBS News, Air Travelers Association president David Stempler said the administration "will make some quick air traffic control improvements to try to get a lot more efficiency for the Thanksgiving and holiday period."

Thanksgiving is in less than a week (I'm flying this coming Tuesday), so I'd like to hear what kind of "quick" ATC changes these people have in mind. As a traveler, it's disconcerting to think that anybody wants to make adjustments to the NE corridor with such haste.

Then again, it's even more frightening as a pilot because you know the FAA can't possibly be involved if they want to accomplish something in such a short amount of time. :)

Brian

[njgtr82]

what a joke this is

[cancidas]

Then again, it's even more frightening as a pilot because you know the FAA can't possibly be involved if they want to accomplish something in such a short amount of time.

you're so right on that one... glad i'm going to be off on that day. i really wonder if this is just garbage coming out of his mouth again to try to "calm the people." it's still going to be a mess, and the media is still gonna do thier reports from the roof of the DCA terminal with a gaggle of US airplanes in the background...

[Matt Molnar]

Immediate changes:
• Airspace off the east coast between Florida and Maine normally reserved for military traffic will be open to all flights from Wednesday to Friday of next week, creating "a Thanksgiving express lane."
• All nonessential FAA maintenance will be postponed to free up personnel.

Later:
• DOT will propose raising bump fee to $400-$800.
• FAA will continue examining reconfiguring airspace
• Operating a chronically late flight (15 mins late more than 70% of the time) might be deemed a deceptive trade practice, which would subject the carrier to federal fines

[mirrodie]

I'm not an ATC guru by any means, but I have to ask what does "east coast express' lane in the sky really do for us?

In my way of thought, it seems the the bottle neck is on theground at the airports with departures and arrivals. Will freeing up more space really hasten movements on the ground?

[T-Bird76]

I'm flying the Sunday right after Thanksgiving out of LGA to PHX via ORD...LGA and ORD on the Thanksgiving weekend....yeah my company really doesn't pay me enough...

[Mateo]

Shutting down the Warning areas off the Virginia coast doesn't really do anything. There are only so many arrivals per hour that the airports can handle. Any demand in excess of the capacity will trigger a groundstop and/or airborne holding. The usual NY-Florida route goes over the Norfolk area and then goes over water from around Wilmington, NC to the destination. The current route happens to be pretty close to the great circle. The new routes will allow routings further to the east than currently permitted (nowhere in the announcement is it mentioned that these routes will take longer and burn more fuel). Flights from BOS/PVD may be a little more direct, but that's about it. Hope some of those MD-80 and Classic 7-3 drivers are brushing up on position report procedures!

[PhilDernerJr]

I was going to say along the lines of what Mateo said.

Delays are not because of airspace issues, but an airport's ability to handle the flights. Slots, ground control, and passenger and ground service in such volume simply puts great strain on the infrastructure.

[njgtr82]

Well the time has come and there was no sign of new routes through military offshore airspace today. Most of the delays were going south bound and the ones who were rerouted went inland instead of offshore. If they were lucky enough to even get those that is. Continental had alot of flights from SAV up to the RIC area fly anywhere from 6,000 to FL180 to help reduce the volume even. Lots of extra fuel burning there.

[T-Bird76]

News 12 and NBC report "surprisingly few delays and lines at area airports." Just yesterday they were predicting doom and gloom :roll: :roll: