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REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
GETTING CONTROL OF AVIATION DELAYS
HERNDON, VA
DECEMBER 19, 2007
NOON
Good morning. Thank you for joining us today. I appreciate Mike
Sammartino taking the time to show me around and explain what you and your team
do every day to keep the nation’s air traffic safely moving.
Over the next two weeks, this team – and tens of thousands of controllers, air
crew, and airport staff – will be focused on one thing: making sure Americans
can spend the holidays celebrating with family and friends instead of stuck in
airports or delayed on airplanes.
The President and I share that same focus, and he has asked me to take
additional steps to make sure the holiday travel season goes as smoothly as
Mother Nature will allow.
So today, I am announcing that the Defense Department has agreed to open Holiday
Express lanes over the Atlantic seaboard from the evening of December 21st
through early morning on December 26th and then again from December 28th through
January 2nd.
The military also has agreed to open new western Holiday Express routes from
December 21st through January 2nd, which will provide greater flexibility for
flights in and out of Southern California.
These Holiday Express lanes in the sky will give airlines the wiggle room they
need to avoid backups, evade weather, and dodge delays.
We have formed a new federal advisory task force that will make sure airlines
and airports are doing a better job coordinating with one another on how to
handle lengthy tarmac delays and the unexpected weather events that can strand
thousands at airports.
I also have authorized the Federal Aviation Administration to exercise liberal
use of overtime to make sure air traffic managers have the flexibility to see
that facilities are staffed to handle any surge in traffic. And we have placed a
moratorium on routine maintenance through the holidays so controllers can focus
on traffic.
Getting this big holiday travel period right is important, but we all know
delays have become a year-round problem. And odds are that, if a traveler was on
a late flight this year, delays in the New York region were a primary cause.
That is why, today, I am directing that the following short-term steps be taken
to address the delays that are plaguing the New York region and distressing and
depressing travelers nationwide. These arrangements were crafted with
considerable care and extensive input from the aviation community.
First, I have instructed the FAA to prioritize operational and capacity
improvements for all three major New York area airports: JFK, La Guardia, and
Newark.
We have been working closely with the airlines and airports to identify measures
that can be taken to make better use of runways and taxiways. While many of
these are longer term measures, we have already completed seven of them,
including new take-off patterns at Newark and Philadelphia International
Airports that will allow aircraft to fan out after take off – leaving more
options in their wake for the next aircraft to depart.
Another 28 will be completed within a year, among them new satellite-based
navigation procedures for the New York and Philadelphia airports. These improved
procedures provide more options for routing aircraft during thunderstorm
weather. In addition, we are looking at ways to allow shorter flights to operate
at lower altitudes to open more room for long-haul flights at higher altitudes.
I also have authorized establishing an executive-level position who will serve
as Director of our newly created New York Integration Office. This “czar” will
coordinate all the different projects and initiatives addressing problems of
congestion and delays in New York, and air space issues regionally.
Operational improvements are a must, but they will never be enough to handle the
flood of traffic coming to New York every day.
So I am announcing an agreement with the airlines serving JFK to cap the number
of flights at between eighty-two and eighty-three an hour, depending on the time
of day.
I further have directed the FAA to set an appropriate cap for Newark Liberty
International Airport and to enter into negotiations with the airlines to adjust
schedules. We are doing this so the airlines do not simply shift their flights
to Newark, causing additional delays there that offset the gains we’ll achieve
at JFK.
Under the terms of the hourly caps, airlines will be able to shift their flights
to times of the day when the airports have unused capacity. The result of
stopping the overload in peak hours will be a significant reduction in delays in
the New York region.
These limits will do much to end scheduling practices that try to squeeze in
more flights an hour than runways can efficiently handle. What they do not do is
require airlines to cut the number of flights currently serving the area. In
fact, they will allow more flights than were offered last summer, but they will
be spaced out more reasonably.
Further, as our planned operational and capacity improvements make more take
offs and landings possible, we will expand the number of hourly flights that can
operate at Newark and JFK. These new slots will be available for lease to the
carrier valuing them the highest; as a result, any airline will have the
opportunity to enter into – or expand – operations in New York. And the revenue
from these leases will then be available for investments in new airspace and
airport improvements for the region.
All told, these new measures will cut delays, protect consumer choice, support
New York’s economy, and allow for new flights as we bring new capacity online.
But we know there is more to be done, and I am asking the aviation community to
join with us in exploring policies and programs, including broader market-based
measures, that will help reduce congestion and improve airport investments. Our
goal is to craft early next year a series of reforms that will lead to better
airline scheduling, drive investments in new capacity, and provide the
flexibility needed to adapt to the dynamic aviation industry.
These short-term steps should make life easier for the countless flyers who
travel this holiday season and in the months beyond. Ultimately, however, we
know the long-term solution lies in replacing today’s radar-based air traffic
system with satellite-based systems that can safely handle significantly more
traffic.
Yet it has been 10 long months since this Administration sent legislation to
Congress that would have allowed us to begin purchasing and installing this next
generation air traffic system.
By eliminating this single delay, Congress can help end aviation gridlock,
expand aviation capacity, and keep our skies safe. Sadly, this vital legislation
remains stuck in a Congressional holding pattern while passengers bear the brunt
of gridlocked airports and packed planes.
While Congress delays, we will continue to deliver. These holiday travel
arrangements and new measures for New York will make life easier for the tired
traveler, the patient pilot, and the committed controller.
Thank you, and may all of you travel safely this holiday season. Now, I would be
more than happy to answer your questions.
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