General Lee
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2002
- Posts
- 20,442
UPDATE - Airlines to make more schedule cuts at O'Hare
Wednesday April 21, 1:53 pm ET
WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - United Airlines (NYSE:UAL - News) and American Airlines (NYSE:AMR - News) will cut more flights from their schedules at Chicago's O'Hare airport as part of a government initiative to reduce congestion, officials said on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced that the two biggest airlines will reduce their peak-hour flight schedules at the world's busiest airport by another 2.5 percent beginning in June and running through October.
United and American -- the most active at O'Hare -- reduced their peak-hour takeoffs and landings at the airport by 5 percent in March.
Those changes had some impact, but the results have not been significant as congestion and delays continue to be a major problem, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said.
Air traffic officials say overscheduling at O'Hare has increased congestion, which if bad enough can ripple through the aviation system and affect flights at other big airports, especially in the East.
"These are tough decisions for the airlines but the consequences of doing nothing would be worse and far reaching," Mineta said.
The Bush administration is more sensitive than ever to airport congestion as the industry has shown signs of rebounding after more than two years of depressed travel and record financial losses.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for air traffic control, was severely criticized by the industry in 1999 and 2000 for unprecedented delays and congestion during those record years for air travel. But the government blamed airline overscheduling at key airports.
Bye Bye--General Lee
Wednesday April 21, 1:53 pm ET
WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - United Airlines (NYSE:UAL - News) and American Airlines (NYSE:AMR - News) will cut more flights from their schedules at Chicago's O'Hare airport as part of a government initiative to reduce congestion, officials said on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced that the two biggest airlines will reduce their peak-hour flight schedules at the world's busiest airport by another 2.5 percent beginning in June and running through October.
United and American -- the most active at O'Hare -- reduced their peak-hour takeoffs and landings at the airport by 5 percent in March.
Those changes had some impact, but the results have not been significant as congestion and delays continue to be a major problem, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said.
Air traffic officials say overscheduling at O'Hare has increased congestion, which if bad enough can ripple through the aviation system and affect flights at other big airports, especially in the East.
"These are tough decisions for the airlines but the consequences of doing nothing would be worse and far reaching," Mineta said.
The Bush administration is more sensitive than ever to airport congestion as the industry has shown signs of rebounding after more than two years of depressed travel and record financial losses.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for air traffic control, was severely criticized by the industry in 1999 and 2000 for unprecedented delays and congestion during those record years for air travel. But the government blamed airline overscheduling at key airports.
Bye Bye--General Lee
