Airlines Say Passenger Bill Will Increase Customer Inconvenience
Source: ATA, Air Transport Association of America
Apr 12, 2007 - 5:05:55 AM
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Airlines’ Procedures Review and Airspace Modernization are Key to Addressing Delays
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2007 – James C. May, president and CEO of the Air Transport Association (ATA), the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, today testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on airline service improvements.
Passenger and crew safety are always of paramount importance to airlines, which fly only in safe conditions. Rare extreme weather events in the past few months have caused airlines to wait out the weather, and this regrettably caused a few extended delays. But as rare as these events are, so too is the frequency of extended delays. According to Department of Transportation reporting procedures, 36 out of more than seven million flights experienced extended delays of more than five hours in 2006 – just five ten-thousandths of a percent.
After safety, on-time service is the next critical factor for success in the airline business; therefore, airlines devote an enormous amount of resources to studying delay causes and finding ways to improve operations. Airlines understand that delays not only inconvenience and frustrate passengers, they also add expense to their bottom line.
The proposed legislation will force airlines to inconvenience most passengers to satisfy the demand of just one who wishes to deplane. Congress cannot legislate good weather or the best way to respond to bad weather because every situation is unique. Airlines need the flexibility to deal with each delay situation individually to help ensure that the fewest people possible are inconvenienced.
“In addition to those affected, no one cares more about delivering all air passengers on time than the airlines and their employees,” said May. “As a result of the recent unique severe weather incidents, airlines have reviewed their policies and procedures and updated contingency plans for extended delays.
“Delays of five hours or more are extremely rare, but shorter delays are plaguing the system and getting worse because of the vast increase in corporate jets,” May later added. “Thirty-five years ago, corporate jets were a novelty but two-thirds of all jets today are corporate and they are literally clogging our skies. Congress can reduce delays by authorizing a satellite-based air traffic control system that will relieve the traffic jam in our skies that frustrates thousands of passengers each day.”
ATA members transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic.
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