"Airlines say US wants to wield 'meat ax' on JFK flights"

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Airlines say government wants to wield "meat ax" on JFK flights
By John Crawley


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prospects of airlines voluntarily agreeing to
significantly cut their schedules to reduce New York flight delays
diminished on Tuesday with carriers angrily rejecting the government's chief
proposal.

James May, the chief executive of the industry's trade group, the Air
Transport Association, said the Transportation Department opened a
conference on airline scheduling practices with airline executives earlier
in the day by proposing a 30 percent reduction in flights for next summer at
delay plagued John F. Kennedy airport.

"Scheduling a meeting is a perfectly appropriate approach but not when done
with a meat ax," May told reporters.

May said the industry might consider legal action or asking Congress to
intervene if the Federal Aviation Administration imposes the cuts that would
cover most flights on weekdays at the nation's worst airport for congestion.

Airlines also oppose the transportation agency's other plan -- a longer term
remedy and more heavily prompted -- that would charge carriers more to use
congested airports at the busiest times of the day.

"We have concerns about delays in New York like everyone else, May said.

"You don't promote cuts in schedule capacity, you promote adjustments and
produce realistic benchmarks," May added.

Airlines have been accused of dramatically overscheduling peak-hour flights
at JFK during the past year, putting pressure on the airport's limited
runway and gate capacity, especially this past summer.

Daily operations at JFK increased 41 percent from March 2006 to August 2007
compared with the same period a year earlier, according to government
figures. At the same time, on-time arrivals fell from 69 percent to 61
percent. Delays exceeding more than one hour were up 114 percent.

Delays at New York-area airports often ripple through the U.S. aviation
system and ground flights elsewhere.

The Transportation Department, through the FAA, has demonstrated in
regulatory filings that it is prepared to impose schedule cuts if airlines
do not agree to them.

May said airlines could find enough efficiency in their operations by
slightly adjusting departure and arrival times. "We came up with a
significant reduction in delays," May said.

Transportation Department officials say airlines are making excuses and need
to present realistic options. The agency says it is open to a number of
options, preferably longer term market-based pricing schemes, to the JFK
problem and schedule cuts are not preferred.

"It's a blunt instrument that limits competition and is known to raise
prices," said agency spokesman Brian Turmail.

Separately, the White House said it planned to nominate Robert Sturgell as
FAA administrator, replacing Marion Blakey. Sturgell has been acting
administrator since Blakey's five-year term expired in September.

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