Will Fewer Flights Mean Fewer Delays?

Carriers add up to 50% to flight times as congestion adds to ground, air delays

(NEWSER) - Air travel is the slowest it's been in the past 20 years, thanks to increased congestion both on the runway and in the air. A flight from Las Vegas to New York took 4 hours, 37 minutes in 1988, but that same route now requires over 6 hours, reports USA Today. And don't expect things to improve any time soon. More»

More than 26% of all domestic flights were late or canceled

(NEWSER) - It's now official: 2007 was an awful year for airline delays—the worst since the record delays of 2000. More than 26% of domestic flights were delayed or canceled, due to huge demand and a growing swarm of small planes gobbling up runway space, reports the AP. The airline with the best record was Hawaii's Aloha Airlines, with a 93% on-time arrival rate. More»

Another controller nodded off in Nevada yesterday

(NEWSER) - The head of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization resigned today, amid a wave of reports of air traffic controllers sleeping on the job . Hank Krakowski submitted his resignation this morning to FAA chief Randy Babbitt, the Washington Post reports, who promised a “top to bottom” review of the air traffic control system he leaves behind. More»

(NEWSER) - A computer glitch in an FAA computer system caused flight delays around the country today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The situation appeared to be easing this evening as airports—Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston were hardest hit—got back on track. The snag hit one of two FAA facilities that processes flight-approval plans. Air-traffic controllers said the error did not pose any safety risks, but it has raised questions about whether the FAA needs a better back-up system. More»

Too pricey to keep 'flying tankers' in the air

(NEWSER) - Super-long flights were hailed as the future of aviation only a few years ago, but the soaring price of fuel has grounded those plans, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines are delaying or canceling intercontinental routes as the cost of keeping "flying tankers" in the air for over 12 hours stops making economic sense. More»