A discussion about the airline industry, airline employees, and all things related

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey is not going quietly.  At a luncheon on Tuesday for the airline industry, Blakey said reduce your schedules or do not be surprised if the federal government steps in.

“The airlines need to take a step back on scheduling practices that are at times out of line with reality," FAA Administrator Marion Blakey.  She is most concerned with airports and airspaces along the east coast. 

U.S. carriers reported an on-time arrival rate of 69.8 percent in July, down from 73.7 percent a year ago, according to the Department of Transportation.  Over 900,000 flights were delayed from Jan. through June of this year alone.  These on-time performances are some of the worst in years. 

But Mike Boyd, an aviation consultant based in Evergreen, Colo., criticized Blakey and the FAA for not doing more to upgrade air traffic control systems, which he said are ten years out of date. 

Both parties are to blame.  The airlines are cramming 15 to 20 more departures into an hour than ATC can handle on perfect weather days.  If you throw in bad weather at a hub airport the system is riddled with delays nation wide. 

Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the agency, said the government has acted in the past to reduce congestion. She noted that the FAA stepped in several years ago in Chicago and held "scheduling meetings" that led to reduced flights during peak hours at Chicago's O'Hare airport.  The FAA limits the number of flights in and out of some airports in the United States but when the FAA limits the number of departures/arrivals it may start to look like they are limiting the flow of commerce. 

The carriers contend that their schedules are only what their passengers want.  They are not flying planes empty out there.  We all know that from their record load factors this year. 

And delays will only get worse as the FAA expects a billion passengers to be using the system by 2015, a 36 percent increase from levels now.

MSNBC.com