Regulations: Flying at Prime Time

After eight days of negotiations withinearshot of Washington’s busy National Airport, airline companyofficials last week adopted a plan to ease traffic at the six mostheavily congested U.S. airports. The carriers agreed to shift anestimated 1,000 flights out of crowded, peak-period slots at majorairports in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Denver.

Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole boasted that the new schedules,to take effect by Nov. 1, “will mean fewer delays for air travelers byassuring that fewer planes compete for the same gates and runways atthe same time.” Others are less optimistic. According to the FederalAviation Administration, almost two-thirds of airline delays this yearhave been due not to overscheduling but to bad weather and technicalproblems. A shortage of air traffic controllers has also contributed todelays.

The new accord will ease airport congestion in the short run.But aviation experts maintain that problems will persist until the U.S.air traffic system acquires more air controllers, builds more runways,improves computer facilities and develops a better mechanism fordeciding who gets to fly at prime time.

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