ACI-NA Testifies on Efforts to Address Delays
Megan Miller, mmiller@aci-na.org (202) 861-8080
Eileen Denne, edenne@aci-na.org (202) 293-4537
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON (April 9, 2008) – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) President Greg Principato testified today before the House Subcommittee on Aviation on delays and congestion. He expressed concern about continued passenger inconvenience and rising complaints, emphasizing the work underway by airports to address traveler needs.
In describing the results of an industry-wide workshop, convened by ACI-NA in January 2008, Principato detailed immediate and longer-term actions undertaken by airports independently and in collaboration with airlines on a local and national level. According to Principato, these action plans and “best practices” were provided to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Contingency Plan Task Force, on which ACI-NA and several airport representatives are participating.
“Airports are taking a leadership role in identifying trends and patterns and recommending workable solutions for mitigating the impact of flight disruptions for passengers both on the airplane and in the terminal,” Principato said.
ACI-NA also emphasized the impact of delays at small airports, where cancellation rates continue to have an even more pronounced effect on passengers’ abilities to make connections at large hubs. According to 2007 Bureau of Transportation Statistics data, small and non-hub airports within 300 miles of large airports averaged 37 percent more delay minutes and nearly 39 percent more cancellations than small and non-hubs overall.
In addition, ACI-NA also supports measures proposed by DOT that would increase compensation for involuntarily denied boardings and lost luggage, as well as enhanced consumer protection from chronically delayed flights. Principato emphasized that adding additional capacity is the best solution to decreasing congestion and delays; however, in those situations where capacity expansion is infeasible, airports operators should be able to develop programs to respond to congestion and airline overscheduling.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and because of the unique circumstances at each airport’s facilities, proprietors of congested airports need the ability to develop programs that are custom-fit to specific local circumstances,” Principato told the Subcommittee.
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About ACI-NA:
Airports Council International - North America represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Almost 400 aviation-related businesses are also members of the association, which is the largest of the five worldwide regions of Airports Council International.