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AVIATIONConditionsThe nation's civil aviation system is showing obvious signs of strain. While a tremendous amount of attention has been focused on the problem, not enough has been done to alleviate it. For instance, the number of scheduled flights for the first nine months of 2000 increased by more than 100,000. In 1997, the National Civil Aviation Review Commission (NCARC) predicted that the nation would reach aviation system gridlock by 2005. The numbers demonstrate that aviation gridlock is already here. More people than ever are flying; more aircraft than ever are in the air at any given time. The aviation infrastructure - airports, air traffic control system and other components - are simply not keeping up. In June 2000, there were 49,961 delayed flights. In the first nine months of 2000, 25% of all flights, affecting 119 million passengers, were delayed, canceled, or diverted.
Aviation executives claim, and government reporting methods confirm, that 70% or more of delays are caused by weather. While air traffic controllers are working on ways to expand airspace to reduce flight delays, most of the trouble can be attributed to scheduling flights with too little margin for error. Weather is not controllable, and it is often difficult to predict, but we know it will happen. The gridlock facing the nation's aviation system not only delays travel it impacts safety as well. A symptom of over-burdened airports is the increase in runway incursions, 429 in 2000, up from 321 in 1999. Runway incursions are incidents that create potential for collisions. The nation's air traffic control system (ATC) has not kept pace with rapidly rising demands. The system is operating right at capacity. It takes very little to precipitate the aviation version of gridlock. Key positions in the ATC modernization effort, especially the new Chief Operating Officer of the ATC, have remained unfilled. The nation's aviation system is overburdened, but attempts to expand or build new airports are stymied by local politics. Problems abound because different entities control different pieces of the aviation system, often with different agendas. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) controls the skies and has as its primary goals safety and expansion. Various local and state entities control airports and must contend with such local issues as noise levels and environmental concerns. Competition between airports, cities and regions for aviation dollars also plays a role. It takes on average 10 to 15 years to build a new runway. Many planned runways never get built. Finally, airlines control the schedules, which are often unrealistic and designed more to maintain market share and revenue than to promote efficiency. Policy OptionsThere is plenty of finger pointing and blame to go around when deciding what is wrong with the nation's air travel system. Fixing the problem is going to require the effort of all involved. There is a need to expand capacity at the nation's airports, modernize the air traffic control systems, and find a more logical and sustainable system of scheduling flights. In large part, technology and funding is available. Most of all, it is going to require leadership, by the Administration, Congress, airports and airlines. The NCARC recommended an overhaul of the FAA's budget, organization and management, and transforming it into a performance based organization. There have been many calls for privatizing the air traffic control function of the FAA. Many other nations, including Canada and the United Kingdom, have done so. This has permitted the rapid introduction of new technologies and has reduced costs. Another idea that may deserve serious consideration is "rush-hour" pricing. The old system of open access has led to over scheduling. By setting slot fees according to demand, airlines will be given incentives to spread flight times out. Also, by charging more during peak times, airports can increase revenue. Specific recommendations supported by ASCE:
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