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Aging Philly Airport Bogs Down Flights
Nov 20 04:04 PM US/Eastern
By PATRICK WALTERS
Associated Press Writer 6 Comments
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - In a terrible year for flight delays nationwide,
this city's outdated airport has become a hub of the East Coast
maelstrom.
Holiday travelers from Maine to Florida shouldn't hold their breath,
either. It could be decades before passengers see significant
improvements at Philadelphia International Airport, routinely one of
the nation's most delayed.
Federal Aviation Administration officials, airlines, air traffic
controllers and others say Philadelphia plays a major role in delays
up and down the coast thanks to poor airport design, bad weather,
heavy traffic and close proximity to New York.
"If you wanted to show an airport that shows the opposite of what
efficient is, Philly would be the poster child," said Don Chapman,
local president of the National Air Traffic Controllers union.
Through September, 68 percent of departures were on time in
Philadelphia, better only than New York's JFK International, Chicago's
O'Hare International and Liberty International in Newark, N.J. Fewer
than two-thirds of arrivals were on time in Philadelphia during that
period.
Nationwide, the airline industry suffered its worst on-time
performance in 13 years through September. Over that period, the
nation's 20 largest carriers reported that nearly a quarter of all
flights arrived late, the most since the industry started keeping
track in 1995.
The FAA has deemed Philadelphia a "pacing" airport that, because it
sits in the middle of the busy East Coast air corridor, causes delays
nationwide. It is debating how to improve the airport, which last year
ranked 16th in the nation by passenger volume, but is consistently
near the bottom of the 32 largest airports in on-time performance.
"It seems like if somebody sneezes in Harrisburg, we've got delays in
Philadelphia," said Morgan Durrant, a spokesman for US Airways, the
airport's dominant carrier.
There is little hope of major relief for this year's holiday
travelers. Rain and fog on Monday and Tuesday caused delays leading up
to the Thanksgiving rush.
Airport officials are working on extending one runway to accommodate
bigger planes. That project, slated for completion by the end of next
year, is expected to help ease delays somewhat.
The FAA is considering three options for a major airport redesign
aimed at realigning runways to allow more planes to take off at once.
Construction would take 10 to 15 years and would not start until 2010
at the earliest, at an estimated cost of between $5 billion to $6
billion.
Meanwhile, the search for more immediate solutions has created an
uproar.
Neighbors in the Philadelphia suburbs, and other areas along the East
Coast, are angry over an airspace redesign meant to give planes more
room. They say the change, which could go into effect next month, will
force more flights over their homes and reduce property values.
The FAA also is moving toward alleviating congestion with new
navigational technology that would get more planes in the sky at once
by allowing them to fly closer together. But air traffic controllers
say that would only make the problems worse.
"The cause of delays is not in the air," Chapman said. "The cause of
delays is on the ground."
Poor runway arrangement limits the number of planes that can take off
from the airport at once, especially during bad weather, Chapman said.
Although a small runway was added in 1999, most of the layout dates
back to the 1970s or earlier.
But FAA officials call the changes a must for improving the region's
clogged system.
"What you have to do is look to use technology and airspace design,"
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said. "How we improve things in New York and
Philadelphia ultimately improves things in the rest of the country."
Meanwhile, on the ground, baggage handling remains a major struggle
three years after a Christmas 2004 disaster. That year, US Airways had
to cancel hundreds of flights and thousands of pieces of luggage were
stranded in Philadelphia after scores of flight attendants and baggage
handlers called in sick.
The airline has since allocated $20 million toward improving baggage
handling facilities, but it's still trying to streamline the
operation. Eventually, Durrant said, a new system will be able to
process up to 1,200 bags an hour, up from the current 700.
In the meantime, Philadelphia's mayor-elect urged travelers to be
patient and beseeched them not to allow delays at the city-owned
airport to tarnish Philadelphia's image.
"None of these challenges are insurmountable," Michael Nutter said the
morning after he was elected Nov. 6. "I'd like to remind many of you
that the city of Philadelphia does not handle baggage, nor do we fly
airplanes."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
........................................................
Have the blacks EVER run anything correctly?
Look at African countries...cant feed
themselves....crime ....murder....
Look at American black cities....Crime...drugs....murder....
Facts are not racist.
love
hanka
Nov 20 04:04 PM US/Eastern
By PATRICK WALTERS
Associated Press Writer 6 Comments
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - In a terrible year for flight delays nationwide,
this city's outdated airport has become a hub of the East Coast
maelstrom.
Holiday travelers from Maine to Florida shouldn't hold their breath,
either. It could be decades before passengers see significant
improvements at Philadelphia International Airport, routinely one of
the nation's most delayed.
Federal Aviation Administration officials, airlines, air traffic
controllers and others say Philadelphia plays a major role in delays
up and down the coast thanks to poor airport design, bad weather,
heavy traffic and close proximity to New York.
"If you wanted to show an airport that shows the opposite of what
efficient is, Philly would be the poster child," said Don Chapman,
local president of the National Air Traffic Controllers union.
Through September, 68 percent of departures were on time in
Philadelphia, better only than New York's JFK International, Chicago's
O'Hare International and Liberty International in Newark, N.J. Fewer
than two-thirds of arrivals were on time in Philadelphia during that
period.
Nationwide, the airline industry suffered its worst on-time
performance in 13 years through September. Over that period, the
nation's 20 largest carriers reported that nearly a quarter of all
flights arrived late, the most since the industry started keeping
track in 1995.
The FAA has deemed Philadelphia a "pacing" airport that, because it
sits in the middle of the busy East Coast air corridor, causes delays
nationwide. It is debating how to improve the airport, which last year
ranked 16th in the nation by passenger volume, but is consistently
near the bottom of the 32 largest airports in on-time performance.
"It seems like if somebody sneezes in Harrisburg, we've got delays in
Philadelphia," said Morgan Durrant, a spokesman for US Airways, the
airport's dominant carrier.
There is little hope of major relief for this year's holiday
travelers. Rain and fog on Monday and Tuesday caused delays leading up
to the Thanksgiving rush.
Airport officials are working on extending one runway to accommodate
bigger planes. That project, slated for completion by the end of next
year, is expected to help ease delays somewhat.
The FAA is considering three options for a major airport redesign
aimed at realigning runways to allow more planes to take off at once.
Construction would take 10 to 15 years and would not start until 2010
at the earliest, at an estimated cost of between $5 billion to $6
billion.
Meanwhile, the search for more immediate solutions has created an
uproar.
Neighbors in the Philadelphia suburbs, and other areas along the East
Coast, are angry over an airspace redesign meant to give planes more
room. They say the change, which could go into effect next month, will
force more flights over their homes and reduce property values.
The FAA also is moving toward alleviating congestion with new
navigational technology that would get more planes in the sky at once
by allowing them to fly closer together. But air traffic controllers
say that would only make the problems worse.
"The cause of delays is not in the air," Chapman said. "The cause of
delays is on the ground."
Poor runway arrangement limits the number of planes that can take off
from the airport at once, especially during bad weather, Chapman said.
Although a small runway was added in 1999, most of the layout dates
back to the 1970s or earlier.
But FAA officials call the changes a must for improving the region's
clogged system.
"What you have to do is look to use technology and airspace design,"
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said. "How we improve things in New York and
Philadelphia ultimately improves things in the rest of the country."
Meanwhile, on the ground, baggage handling remains a major struggle
three years after a Christmas 2004 disaster. That year, US Airways had
to cancel hundreds of flights and thousands of pieces of luggage were
stranded in Philadelphia after scores of flight attendants and baggage
handlers called in sick.
The airline has since allocated $20 million toward improving baggage
handling facilities, but it's still trying to streamline the
operation. Eventually, Durrant said, a new system will be able to
process up to 1,200 bags an hour, up from the current 700.
In the meantime, Philadelphia's mayor-elect urged travelers to be
patient and beseeched them not to allow delays at the city-owned
airport to tarnish Philadelphia's image.
"None of these challenges are insurmountable," Michael Nutter said the
morning after he was elected Nov. 6. "I'd like to remind many of you
that the city of Philadelphia does not handle baggage, nor do we fly
airplanes."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
........................................................
Have the blacks EVER run anything correctly?
Look at African countries...cant feed
themselves....crime ....murder....
Look at American black cities....Crime...drugs....murder....
Facts are not racist.
love
hanka
