24 June 2008

Fewer planes not a formula for less delays

With fewer planes in the sky, you can expect fewer delays, right? Wrong.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cautions that air traffic lanes will continue to be full in air space that is normally crowded.

The reason is that the airlines will contract their flying schedules in less-busy cities, which never had much congestion to begin with. Landing slots at busy airports will, for the most part, continue to be fully used, according to FAA officials.

 Ã¢â¬ÅâœWeââ¬â¢re going to see the concentration of large operators at the large airports,ââ¬~  Michael J. Sammartino, director of system operations at the FAAââ¬â¢s Strategic Command Center in Herndon, Va., told wire services.

Even so, the agency plans a variety of new steps to reduce delays, relying on new technologies and procedures.

Not everyone agrees that traffic will stay strong at the big airports. The cuts will ripple through some of the countryââ¬â¢s biggest hubs, said Joseph P. Schwieterman, a professor and expert on air transportation.

ââ¬ÅâœSome airports will see a double-digit percentage decline in flights by late fall,ââ¬~ he said, though most of the cuts are likely to occur during off-peak flying periods.

The cuts will not be permanent, some industry experts say.

ââ¬ÅâœThe reduction in service domestically is a short-term phenomenon,ââ¬~ said Aaron J. Gellman, a professor of management and strategy at Northwestern Universityââ¬â¢s Transportation Center.

ââ¬ÅâœThis is partly based on the belief that fuel prices will come down and economic growth will become quite vigorous again,ââ¬~ he said. ââ¬ÅâœThereââ¬â¢s a market out there to be served. I donââ¬â¢t think the airlines will fail to do so.ââ¬~

Report by David Wilkening

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