September has arrived, and the U.S. airlines' difficult summer is
winding down. We certainly heard enough in the past few months
about the airlines' service problems and the enormous
inconveniences to the public.
Now the statistics are beginning to show up, documenting just
how many delays and cancellations the U.S. airlines posted this
summer. In June, a third of U.S. air passengers didn't arrive
within fifteen minutes of the scheduled time. The 66.3% on-time
performance of the ten major U.S. carriers was the worst monthly
performance since the DOT began tracking the figures thirteen years
ago.
United was unable to get the majority of its flights to arrive
on-time, recording an on-time performance of 48.3%. Among the 431
chronically late flights of the major U.S. lines, United accounted
for more than half and USAirways for almost a third. Combined, the
two carriers accounted for 85% of the chronically late flights.
Along with weather factors, air traffic control problems
contributed significantly to the problems. June was the worst month
ever for air traffic control delays. July did a little better,
although it was still one of the worst months ever.
Capt.Ken Bradley, a spokesman for United's pilots, who have
reached a tentative contract agreement with the line, says the air
traffic system is in bad shape.
"It's a system," Bradley says, "that is barely able to keep up
with increased travel demands."
With the summer coming to a close, the situation should improve
if only because passenger volumes will be somewhat smaller. But the
fundamental problems of too many flights, overburdened airports,
insufficient runways and the strained air traffic control system
will remain.
Cutting back on flights will help. United is already doing, that
and other airlines need to be more aggressive in reducing services.
But competitive factors restrain the carriers from taking the
necessary schedule reductions.
It shouldn't take the kind of miserable summer the airlines have
had to bring carrier managements to their senses. They must
rationalize their schedules to improve services for the public and
to ensure that aviation safety is not compromised.