Carriers Accuse Massachusetts Port Authority of Overstepping Bounds

World Airline News, Feb 23, 2001

Airlines Claim New Customer Service Standards at Logan are Redundant

The U.S. Air Transport Association (ATA) is questioning the legality of a Feb. 15, 2001 announcement by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) that 38 airlines serving Boston's Logan Airport would be accountable to formal performance standards at Logan beginning Feb. 26, 2001.

ATA's Michael Wascom told World Airline News that after an initial review of Massport's performance standard plan at Logan, the association has concerns that the initiative might preempt state and local governments to exercise power that belongs to the U.S. federal government.

The standards focus on airline performance in baggage handling, check-in and communication in delays. Massport staff plan to randomly choose 12 airlines per month to monitor performance in those areas.

If Massport staff members conclude carriers are failing to meet the requirements, the airlines would have an opportunity to "self-correct when problems are identified," said Massport's Barbara Platt.

Initially, a certified letter would be sent to an airline's local Boston office informing officials of compliance problems. The carrier then would have 30 days to implement corrective action, and if the problems are not resolved within that time frame, the next step is formal notification at an airline's national headquarters of lackluster performance at Logan. At that time , the airline would be given an additional 30 days to find solutions, and if no progress is made during that timeframe, "we'll look at the lease and figure out what steps to take," Platt said. She told WAN that might include levying a penalty through leased properties.

According to Massport, the standards are not new or arbitrary: "They're the airlines' own standards (Customer Service Plans established by ATA members in June, 1999) and we're just monitoring them," Platt explained.

The fact that Massport is formally monitoring standards airlines have already established for themselves is part of ATA's argument that the initiative is full of redundancy. "I don't know what added benefit they're seeking to accomplish. It's a punitive action against us when they seek to address issues we are focusing on," Wascom said.

Platt attempted to put Massport's decision in context. "We've done everything we can to meet the needs of passengers," she said. That includes addressing delays through the attempt to construct another runway at the airport and requiring Massport employees to complete customer service training. "The next logical step was to look at airline standards," Platt said.

Wascom countered with a "shoe-on-the-other-foot" argument. "I don't think Massport would be appreciative if airlines formed a regulatory committee to oversee traffic management at the airport, if there's timeliness in plowing runways during snow, or if passengers have problems finding parking spaces," he said. "Airlines withholding fees for non-compliance is not a road we want to go down."

Massport's attempts to locally impose penalties does not address the national problem, according to Mary Rose Loney, president and CEO of The Loney Group and a former commissioner of aviation in the Chicago Airports System. "It's easy to get into finger pointing, but all parties have to work together," she said. "If you attach sanctions to not meeting local standards, you run the risk of polarizing the situation. The problems have to be solved in a collegial manner," Loney said.

Eliminating finger pointing could be more of a challenge now that Massport wants to hold airlines accountable on customer service issues. "It does not set a positive precedent for our working relationship in the future," Wascom noted. "It casts doubt over our ability to work with Massport in the National Runway Coalition and on efforts to build a runway at Logan."

Airlines should not bear all the blame

As passenger frustration levels continue to soar, airlines are not solely responsible for addressing problems associated with recurring delays and poor baggage handling. "It's hollow politics to impose standards on airlines when the infrastructure doesn't allow them," said Leo Schefer, president of the Washington Airports Task Force.

Schefer told WAN Massport's performance initiative is not necessarily detrimental, especially if the airport is providing adequate facilities. As an example, he said it's difficult for an airport to impose certain standards on issues relating to baggage handling if baggage retrieval equipment does not operate efficiently.

Realistically, a lot of the problems associated with U.S. aviation infrastructure are the result of the federal government's failure to acknowledge them. "Since deregulation, only three new runways have been built," Schefer said. Platt agreed, and told WAN that Logan started planning its new runway in the 1970s. "The new runway would be the single biggest improvement in [eleminating] delays, with an annual reduction of 30 percent," she said.

All responsible parties in aviation infrastructure -- airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the airports -- need to realize the importance of working together, according to Loney. "It's a three-legged stool. And it's a problem when one of those legs is weakened."