Airlines serving Chicago O'Hare International Airport would be compelled to limit flight operations during peak hours for another six months if a new proposal from the federal government stands.
The existing agreement-voluntarily accepted last summer by North American carriers that operate at the airport
(BTN, Sept. 6, 2004)-is set to expire April 30. The new proposed order was signed last week by Marion C. Blakey, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, and announced Friday by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. It would keep in place "the basic elements of the voluntary agreement" through the end of October.
A DOT spokesperson said interested parties had two weeks from last Friday to comment on the proposal, which also seeks to define how to allocate unused capacity assigned to specific carriers in the original order. A spokesperson from the Chicago Airport System said city officials currently are reviewing documentation from the federal government and would submit comments later this week.
"The order reflecting the carriers' agreement puts an end to a practice that made delays and missed connections an unavoidable certainty," Blakey said. "By proposing to extend this agreement, we would continue to give passengers a fighting chance to arrive on time."
Mineta said O'Hare congestion has lessened in recent months following flight reductions in November, and cited a 21 percent reduction in average arrival delays in minutes and an 11 percent improvement in on-time performance.
"The voluntary flight reductions have helped ease the pressure on travelers and given all of us some breathing room while we work toward a longer term solution to the capacity challenges at O'Hare," Mineta said.
Nevertheless, the latest Air Travel Consumer Report issued by DOT
(BTN, Feb. 4) showed O'Hare's on-time departure ratio in December eroded marginally, year-over-year, from 67.2 percent to 67.1 percent. The airport's on-time-arrival performance, however, showed marked improvement, jumping from 60.1 percent in December 2003 to 65.7 percent in December 2004.
According to the City of Chicago, which owns and operates O'Hare, total flight operations in December 2004 dropped 3 percent from a year earlier, while passenger volume actually increased nearly 2 percent. For full-year 2004, total flight operations increased 7 percent and total passenger volume grew almost 9 percent to 75.5 million.
DOT is seeking comment on the newest proposal and other O'Hare capacity issues as it works toward a formal, long-term strategy for dealing with congestion at the airport. O'Hare is among the world's busiest facilities and a key connection point in the domestic aviation system. It serves as a major hub for both American and United airlines, the world's two largest commercial carriers.