August 7, 2007
The Honorable Mary Peters
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Peters:
First and foremost, I commend you for recognizing the significant impact that aviation system delays in the Northeast are having on the traveling public and moving swiftly to take action.
The system-wide performance of our nation’s air traffic control system (ATC) continues to degrade, yet sadly, it comes as no surprise. Today’s system – limited by outdated technologies and procedures – simply cannot meet the demands placed upon it. The crisis is especially evident in the Northeast where a mix of commercial, corporate, general aviation and military aircraft compete for access to limited airspace. The resulting delays – exacerbated by bad weather – wreak havoc on airline schedules and, more importantly on our customers. Much of the focus on around customer service issues is directly attributable to these delays.
In our recent conversation on the subject, I confirmed our commitment to working with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop the right solutions. During a meeting of our senior airline executives last week, we discussed the issue at length and agreed to the following:
- Demand management should be considered only as a last resort. A broad range of operational and procedural solutions have been previously identified (see attached) which offer substantial, near-term capacity improvement.
- DOT should move quickly to leverage and consolidate activities already underway. We cannot afford to have different groups working independently and, potentially, in conflict with one another on such a critical issue.
- DOT should appoint a “czar” to lead the Northeast congestion initiative. As the leader of this critical effort, the individual must be accountable for boosting near term capacity and have the broad authority to make necessary changes.
- ATA member airline executives are eager to assist you in this effort. Several individuals have offered to make themselves available as needed.
ATA and its member airlines stand ready to assist you in addressing this challenge.