Alternatives for Reducing Delays at the United States' Busiest Airports

In 1993, the air traffic system recorded 276,000 delays of over fifteen years. Various levels of government, airport, and airline officials are attempting to address this situation. The problem has become so acute that the Bureau of Transportation Statistics has set up an Internet web site so users may check the delay histories of specific flights. Since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the number of airline passengers has grown from 243 million to over 468 million per year. Furthermore, Federal Aviation Administration projections of future airline travel range from 640 to over 775 million passengers by the year 2005. Most of these new passengers are concentrated in the busiest US airports, causing numerous delays. Possible alternatives to present and future airline delays and research questions and methodology used in a nationwide survey of airport executives are presented.