Airport News - North America

Aug 27, 2007

ATC modernization desperately needed. Flight delays in the U.S. have reached their highest level in 13 years, according to the DOT. Industry experts say the increase can be blamed on an overstressed, outdated World War II-era air traffic control system. The FAA is developing a system that would use satellites instead, but Congress has not signed on to the $40 billion deal. FlightTracker is a new service that keeps travelers informed on flight and airport status via the Web. For more go to http://www.airguideonline.com/airline_tracker.htm Aug 24, 2007

DHS to test potential passport alternative. Vermont and the DHS plan to increase the security of the state's driver's licenses in an attempt to create an alternative document in compliance with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The project is similar to an ongoing initiative in Washington state. Aug 24, 2007

Passenger data will be shared among agencies. Information about foreign travelers to the U.S. that is collected by DHS can and will be shared with U.S. intelligence agencies, according to officials. The information is stored in a database that until now has been used primarily by Homeland Security officials. "We're expanding our portfolio of agencies we are working with," a department spokeswoman said. Aug 24, 2007

Regional jets not to blame for congestion. Roger Cohen, president of the Regional Airline Association, says regional jets are unfairly blamed for congestion at U.S. airports. Regional jets are proliferating because they offer convenient, affordable service to places passengers want to go. They are used on about half of all daily flights in the U.S. and count as a real success story in the post-9/11 aviation world. The congestion problem is a result of an antiquated air traffic control system, and it's that system that needs to be replaced, not the regional jets. Aug 24, 2007

TSA will allow cargo from certified shippers to pass without screening. The TSA will implement a program that will allow boxes sealed by government-certified shippers to be loaded on planes with no further screening. A TSA spokesman said freight "is inherently screened" if tamper-evident seals are intact when it arrives from a facility that meets federal security standards. Aug 24, 2007

ATA forecasts 2.6% rise in passenger volume for Labor Day week. The Air Transport Association forecasts 15.7 million passengers will travel globally on U.S. airlines during the 2007 Labor Day period, spanning Wednesday, Aug. 29 through Wednesday Sept. 5, resulting in a 2.6% increase in passengers over the same period last year. Aug 23, 2007

[sup.3]Big Brother[sup.2] TSA watching passengers. The TSA is rolling out a new screening program that has specially trained agents fanning out to high-risk airports across the country to watch passengers. The program, Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques, has agents on the lookout for atypical behavior among passengers. Officials refused to comment on which airports are being screened under the new program. Aug 23, 2007

New rules may complicate travel to, from U.S.. Industry insiders are criticizing a new air travel safety rule which requires airlines to provide the U.S. government with passenger information earlier than previously required. "This new measure, on top of all the other ones already in place, is really disturbing. Asking business travelers to plan their trip at least 72 hours in advance is unrealistic," said Jerome Drevon-Barreaux, a global travel manager for a Paris firm. Aug 23, 2007

There are solutions to the flight delay problem. Weary U.S. travelers are all too accustomed to cooling their heels in terminals and on jets waiting to take off or circling airports waiting to land. The long-term solution is to move to a satellite-based control system, which will be able to handle heavy traffic safely and efficiently. The only snag is how to fund it: commercial airline passengers currently pay the bulk of the FAA's budget through ticket taxes, giving corporate jet owners a subsidized ride through the system. Airlines are understandably demanding that private jets start to pay their fair share. Aug 22, 2007

Controller reveals secrets from tower. A new book by veteran air traffic controller Bob Richards recounts his experience directing planes at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. In a review of the book "Secrets from the Tower," Jon Hilkevitch notes that Richards shares errors made on the job as well as how he kept his drug and alcohol abuse a secret. Aug 21, 2007

Fair system needed for funding air traffic control. The nation's air traffic control system is simply unable to handle the growing number of travelers, Air Transport Association President and CEO James May writes in the Chicago Tribune. A fair, predictable funding mechanism for modernization will help solve the problem, he notes. The ATA supports a mileage and departure-based funding formula that will require airlines to pay for the costs they impose on the system, May writes. Aug 21, 2007