We are approaching the holiday season and with that increased air travel and congestion. I think we all agree that there is a problem in the air traffic system in the US and it will need to be fixed soon. Short term patches such as the suggested opening of military airspace can only be temporary and don't really solve the problem. How can the problem be solved?
Before I try to give some answers let me point out that I used to be an Air Defense Controller in the German Air Force and know a thing or two about what's going on in air traffic. But I also travel a lot for business domestically as well as internationally, and I am as frustrated as everybody else out there. Let me also say at this point that I believe in free capital markets with a minimum of government intervention.
Having said that, I do believe that the US air traffic needs government intervention. It can clearly been seen that the airline industry is digging itself a hole in this unregulated market that is getting deeper and deeper. Airlines have to make money and the the American consumer wants the cheapest fares. The result is cut-throat competition, airlines in chapter 11 and a system that is stretched to the limits as personnel gets reduced while passenger numbers increase. And don't get me started on service.
The ultimate reason why the system is near collapsing is the consumer who wants cheap flights. This has pushed the airlines into the position they are in today and not only has effects on service but also on the other parts of the system, meaning air traffic control and airports, and ultimately safety. More and more flights get cramped into the rush hours of air traffic, especially in the afternoon, stretching the air traffic control system to the limits. The last day when JFK does not show some sort of delays because of volume? There might have been one in early 2006. Maybe.
The airline industry needs regulation, I am afraid. What is going to happen without regulation is not pretty. We are going to eventually see accidents happen because of the broken air traffic system. For starters, if 80 movements in one hour are the limit for an airport in best weather conditions, then don't schedule 100. Secondly, significant money needs to be spend to modernize the ATC system. Further, there needs to be oversight over the airline industry to a certain extend. That includes how many standby planes need to be available, the number of personnel servicing passengers, etc. I am afraid that in the case of air traffic the government needs to save the American customer from him or herself in the quest for the cheapest flights out there.
The interesting thing is that this problem is somewhat confined to the US carriers. I don't use this word lightly, but I hate flying domestically in the US. When I travel internationally, there is a noticeable improvement in service and friendliness, especially when I fly international carriers. Again, the consumer gets what the consumer wants. A quite curious thing in a country that otherwise is a case study in service.
Safety concerns in air travel demand that the government gets involved. Hopefully, that will happen soon. I am tired of oversold flights, chewing gum chewing gate agents, disgustingly unclean planes and sitting on the tarmac for three hours with no information whatsoever. But most importantly, I am afraid that we wait until accidents happen before change will take place.
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