Heavy travel predicted this weekend
Air traffic rebounds to pre-9/11 levels
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Millions of American motorists will hit the roads this Memorial Day weekend regardless of the high gas prices, according to AAA, the automobile association.
Others who choose to travel by plane will probably face long lines at the nation's airports, federal transportation officials say.
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll released Thursday found that 59 percent of respondents reported suffering financial hardship because of the high prices at the gas pumps.
Yet AAA estimates 37 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend, generally regarded as the start of the summer travel season. That's a 2 percent increase from last year.
In addition, the nation's air traffic has rebounded to pre-9/11 levels -- as have flight delays, federal transportation officials told a Senate subcommittee Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the news is not likely to improve for travelers anytime soon.
Adding to this "perfect storm" are bargain airfares, the expansion of low-cost carriers and the tripling in the use of regional jetliners, which hold fewer people.
These elements combined have caused the number of air travelers.
The Associated Press reported Transportation Department Inspector General Kenneth Mead as saying the average airfare for a 1,000-mile flight is now $118 -- 20 percent cheaper than a similar ticket in 2000.
Among the consequences: longer security lines, grumpier passengers -- and gridlock.
In the first quarter of 2005 the number of flight arrival delays were 17 percent higher than during the same period last year, affecting more than a quarter of all flights, according to a report from Mead's office.
Most of the delays involved airports in the Northeast and tourist areas of Florida, the report said.
Projected delay hot spots include Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City-La Guardia; Newark, New Jersey; Washington-Dulles; Atlanta, Georgia; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The average length of delay also has increased -- from 48.5 minutes in 2000 to more than 52 minutes, the report said.
Airlines have indicated they plan to "fly full," said FAA administrator Marion Blakey, who testified Thursday along with Mead at a hearing of the Aviation Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Travelers can expect full passenger loads and flights to take off even in bad weather, she said.
Airlines also plan to keep to their schedules, even if they have to fly later and incur delays, she said.
"It's good news for the passengers, because it means you're not looking at cancellations," Blakey said. "But boy, I'll tell you -- we could be looking at some real delays."
Many cash-strapped airlines also have laid off employees. The AP cited the Bureau of Labor Statistics in reporting that U.S. airlines slashed nearly 82,000 jobs between July 2000 and July 2004 and another 17,000 by February.
Officials said they are striving to make better use of the nation's airspace and have spent $74.5 billion over the next three years to build new runways.
Blakey noted that a procedure called "delay triggering" imposes minor delays to avert massive delays nationwide.
She also noted that air traffic capacity has been boosted thanks to the addition of high cruising altitude routes, which are more fuel efficient.
But she acknowledged there was one thing the FAA cannot control: the weather.
Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
