LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe-Document

LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic

April 12, 1999, Monday

SECTION: EDITORIAL/OPINION; Pg. 6A

LENGTH: 783 words

HEADLINE: Fix the real air-travel problem

BYLINE: BY GEORGE JAMES

BODY:
What would your reaction be if a four-lane highway suddenly narrowed down to two lanes tied up by inefficient signal lights? If you had the power, you could outlaw road rage at the bottleneck. Or your could fix the real problem by investing in roads and signals.

Congress faces a similar decision this year in air travel. It can pass hollow ""passenger-rights'' resolutions. Or it can adopt a needed long-term approach by investing in aviation improvements for passengers. For starters, Congress must stop the practice of locking up $4 billion to $6 billion a year in aviation trust-fund moneys - an artifice that, over a decade's time, has come to equal $50 billion in funds that aren't being used to resolve the growing challenges that face air travel.

Today, whenever people gather around a water cooler, someone undoubtedly recounts a tale of travel woe. Perhaps it's a missed connection, a long wait in a crowded airplane on a tarmac, or poor communication from an airline about a delayed flight.

While airlines certainly need to do their part to make improvements, providing good passenger service today is a shared responsibility. Among all the actions that can make life better for passengers, none is more important than ending the erosion of the U.S. aviation infrastructure.

Improving passenger service requires a modernized air traffic control system that can safely and reliably handle more flights, more runways and capacity that can foster competition at airports, longer runways that can accommodate expanded service and jets at smaller airports, and a Federal Aviation Administration that is more passenger-oriented.

Investment in each one of those areas is necessary because the United States must expand the capacity of its aviation system to handle the vast increase in air travel over the past 20 years, make room for more growth, and assure more efficient service.

As passenger demand begins to overburden the air transportation system, nobody can say there weren't warnings. In 1993, a national commission cautioned about congestion. Another national commission upped the ante in 1997, warning of a looming gridlock in the skies.

Nevertheless, Congress and various administration officials have withheld monies designed to relieve congestion problems.

In 1970, Congress established the Airport and Airways Trust Fund to finance the FAA's investment in the U.S. these systems. About 90 percent of the money comes from taxes on domestic airline passengers, supplemented by taxes from air-cargo shippers, international passengers and general aviation.

Yet, over the past 10 years, a total of $51 billion has been withheld from the FAA to mask the federal deficit while crucial aviation safety, security and expansion needs go unmet.

The congestion caused by this financial blockade affects passengers every day.

Air traffic control systems are outdated, leading to flight delays that cost airlines $2.5 billion a year and inconvenience passengers.

Along the eastern corridor, the average flying time between Washington and New York is approximately 40 minutes. But the posted flight time is approximately double that.

At the same time, capacity is tight in several key airports. This congestion on the ground discourages airlines, large and small, from entering airports to provide competition and more fare discounts for passengers.

Without more investment in the infrastructure, the situation will only become worse. For every three planes in the sky in 1996, a fourth will be added soon. Passenger volume, at 200 million in 1978 and 650 million a year today, is expected to pass 1 billion a year in 2008.

By taking the trust fund off the federal budget to unlock the revenue, Congress can finally free up all the needed money for improvements. This year, there's an additional reason why Congress should take the fund off budget. In 1997, special legislation changed the levels and forms of the ticket taxes, which led to a billion-dollar-a-year increase in revenue to the trust fund.

If Congress heads down its typical path, however, nearly $7 billion in airport and airway spending will be withheld this year. Continuing this practice over a decade would lead to an uncommitted balance of $57 billion - an irrational choice during an era of demonstrated aviation need and the first federal budget surplus in over three decades.

Congestion and gridlock are the greatest enemies today of an efficient, passenger-friendly air transportation system. Passenger demand has severely overburdened the air transportation infrastructure. Without unlocking the trust fund monies, the goal of improving passenger service is an empty dream.

LOAD-DATE: April 12, 1999