Fewer passengers are traveling and airlines are cutting back on available seats by retiring planes and reducing schedules. It sounds like bad news, doesn't it? Not if you're interested in faster service and better on-time performance.

In the decades after airline deregulation took hold in the United States, planes went from 50% to 80% full. More planes in the sky also created a very congested air traffic system. As other world markets deregulate their airline industries, the problem will continue to worsen. Two key initiatives, one in the United States and one in Europe, are meant to deal with congested skies. But, will there be enough motivation and money to see them implemented?

On 12 November, 2008, IAPA completed its six-month representation on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Tarmac Delays Task Force, a nationalized initiative commissioned to identify proposed standards and processes for easing passenger inconvenience and discomfort during lengthy ground delays.

The goal can hardly be argued with: relieve congestion at New York City area airports and a large source of airline delays that cascade throughout the country could be eased. The U.S. Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) is pushing to cap each airline operating out of New York (JFK) and Newark (EWR) airports at 20 slots per day. Ten to twenty per cent of the slots beyond the cap would be auctioned off. That's the part that has stirred up a hornet's nest of debate.

What do you think the chances are of your flight arriving late? If you're traveling to, from or within the UK, the answer is about about 1 in 3, according to the latest official figures, which show that the percentage of flights with an on-time arrival fell from 72% to 68% in the first quarter of 2008.

The New York Airline Rulemaking Committee (NY ARC) has been meeting for several weeks now. Most of the detailed work has been accomplished in 5 subgroups comprised of U.S. FAA and DOT officials, representatives from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, domestic U.S. network and foreign flag carriers, low-fare, regional and cargo carriers and consumer groups.

The objective is to positively impact the congestion issue in the New York area before the heavy travel season next summer. There are about 80 ideas being debated.

Many thanks to our members and others for valuable and helpful feedback on these pages on the issue of US flight congestion and delays. Keep your comments coming!

As promised, IAPA and the Business Travel Coalition have been heavily involved in meetings and discussions as the US Department of Transportation seeks solutions to the congestion crisis in the skies above New York.

While continuing to push its idea of using a "market driven" approach, such as congestion pricing, to reduce the delays associated with the New York area, the FAA has proposed another solution which is not being received any better.

The entire U.S. aviation system is in a state of crisis and will become less reliable and more onerous to travel through in 2008 and beyond unless action is taken. The focus and urgency right now in on the three major New York City airports where delays impact virtually the entire U.S. aviation system. After the worst summer of airport delays on record, President Bush has asked U.S. Transportation Secretary, Mary Peters, to meet with airline industry and aviation officials to determine solutions to alleviate the congestion that currently affects up to two thirds of U.S. air traffic as well as improve air passenger complaint and response systems. Your input is critical.