On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:41:55 GMT, "Ben Jeffrey"
wrote in :

Here's something from this mornings WSJ.

Small Jets, More Trips
Worsen Airport Delays
FAA Likes Bigger Craft
But Passengers, Airlines
Prefer Busy Schedules
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
August 13, 2007; Page A1


The FAA once could tackle congestion by limiting the number of takeoff and
landing slots. But Congress in 2000 voted to phase out slot requirements to
open up the airways to competition from low-fare carriers. The FAA sets a
limit on how many takeoff and landings it can safely handle at each
congested airport, but airlines are free to schedule as they want. If there
are too many planes because of overscheduling or just delayed flights
stacking up, the FAA slows down the flow of airliners.

Thanks for that article. It seems to tell the true story: The
airlines are causing the delays, and Congress hasn't a clue of how to
operate the NAS.

With the airlines ordering smaller airliners, this congestion isn't
going to go away soon unless the airlines' hub-and-spoke systems are
modified. There is plenty of concrete unused by airlines that could
be used to decongest today's hubs: municipal airports.

Ain't deregulation grand? Privatization is even better. :-(