Aircraft Delays at Major U.S. Airports Can Be Reduced

GAO recently reported to Congress on the problem of air traffic congestion at major U.S. airports and the potential of three low capital means of better using the existing runway capacity of major airports, peak hour pricing, quotas, and reliever airports. Air travel is an increasingly popular and important transportation mode. It has become more popular because its cost to the passenger has continually decreased compared to other transportation modes. More aircraft operations will be necessary to accomodate the increasing number of passengers, air taxi operations will rise dramatically, and runway capacities are presently not sufficient to accomodate demand. Aircraft delays are costly, inconveniencing passengers and forcing airlines to pay for extra fuel and crew time. Peak hour pricing, requiring passengers to pay a premium to land or take off during congested hours, would reduce delays. However, discouraging peak hour air taxi operations by peak hour pricing will make it more difficult for passengers to fly in and out of small communities. Long-term contracts between the airports and airlines may prevent the use of peak surcharges, but Congress has the power to abrogate these contracts, and could, through legislation, permit airport operators to use peak hour pricing. Quotas could keep demand within capacity at congested airports; however, its use does not give planners accurate information on the need for additional runway capacity. If quotas are set by administrative means rather than pricing, users who most value the runway time will not always get it. There are also legal issues which surround quotas. If reliever airports could accomodate some of the peak traffic, they would help reduce delays considerably by attracting general aviation from major airports. Recent legislation provided Federal aid to publicly owned reliever airports. GAO recommended that Congress pass legislation to decrease air traffic during congested periods and make privately owned relievers eligible for Federal aid. It recommended that the Secretary of Transportation use peak surcharges and/or quotas to carry out the legislation.