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Dutta Speaks Out to FAA

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Source: Archived Content

Date: Apr 26, 2001

In a press release today, United Airlines president Rono Dutta issued a statement about the recent FAA study on airport capacity and offered his own recommendations on how to fix the ever present delays in airline travel.

He states:  "The FAA's findings confirm the impending crisis facing our aviation system and the traveling public: too little capacity to meet soaring consumer demand.  Key airports around the country must build new runways now, or consumers will face increasing delays and cancellations."

Not exactly the most realistic solution folks.  Just where in the heck are you going to build all these new runways?  Anyone who's been to either SFO, LAX, etc... knows that similar to the  ambience inside of the terminal, the areas around those airports are packed to the gills.  Packed with things like people, homes, communities.  Shall we all just relocate them?

Nope, that idea is for that mythical airport in Fantasyland.

His solution continues:  "We are not going to be able to solve this problem with band-aid solutions or approaches that result in fewer flights or higher costs to consumers. The only real way to meet the growing needs of customers and communities is to add runways."

What is a 'band-aid solution' in this context?  Why exactly couldn't you help solve the congestion problem by raising ticket prices and also reducing flights?  It sure as heck worked before deregulation.  Fewer, more expensive flights would certainly help reduce delays.  It's not the end-all answer, but certainly a solution that merits consideration.

There is nothing wrong with increasing the prices for the privilege to fly.  Flying saves time, but at a cost to our environment and to our society.  People need to start paying their share for that cost.  Flying has gotten so cheap and accessible that the system is jammed.  It's a joke and this Roaring 20's style flying circus cannot continue.  Everyone is living the jet set life of flying everywhere and not having to pay their fair share of what it's worth.  More runways?  Please...

Dutta'a entire line of thinking, as well as those from some other folks in the press lately, reminds me of a 1950's freeway planner in Los Angeles saying that the only answer to the every increasing rush-hour traffic delays is to build two more lanes.  Narrow minded solution to a complex and serious national problem.

The bottom line folks is that there is no one, specific, easy answer.  Making a blanket statement like "Build More Runways!" is as scary as it is absurd.  It's Boomer 50's mentality gone haywire in an era where we are supposed to have learned something as a population to start taking accountability for our presence on this planet.

Off my soapbox now.  But man, I just can't stomach that runway idea as an end-all approach.

If you want to read a very good report on some real workable solutions to this problem, check out the latest issue of Newsweek.  Their cover story is devoted to the problems of air travel and they offer some realistic and down-to-earth advice.

Yes, this is a serious problem---I'll give Dutta that.  But it's one that needs a combination of realistic and long term solutions to help solve the ever growing mess of air travel.

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