September 2, 1999
Web posted at: 1:02 a.m. EDT (0502 GMT)

In this story: Severe weather plans poorly coordinated Improvements needed 'at all levels' FAA's new approach RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new study sheds light on problems with the nation's air traffic control system which may contribute to the sharp increase in airline flight delays which have left passengers fuming.

The study, released Wednesday, says poor communication and a lack of standardized equipment and training pose problems for management of the system's 56,000 daily flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration also announced changes designed to ease logjams until long-term technical solutions are in place.

"We will never completely eliminate delays," FAA Administrator Jane Garvey said, but the FAA expects nationwide improvements to result from its new approach.

Many of the changes are designed to improve communications between controllers and regional and national air traffic centers -- without jeopardizing safety, Garvey said.

She blamed the increase in flight delays on a number of problems, chief among them the weather, an increase in air traffic and problems caused by the transition to new equipment.

In the spring, the FAA put together a team of 54 FAA employees and 34 airline industry employees to look for solutions. The group evaluated 33 air traffic control facilities and the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) from July 19 to August 6.

The team found poor communication throughout the system between traffic managers in various regions and the FAA command center in Herndon, Virginia.

In particular, plans to avoid severe weather, the cause of around 75 percent of delays, were slow to be implemented and poorly coordinated, the report said.

"There is less than maximum efficient use of the National Airspace System," the report concluded.

The problem has been pronounced. The U.S. Department of Transportation says flight delays have increased 19.5 percent during the first eight months of 1999, compared with the same period last year. Some airports have noticed triple-digit increases in the number of delays.

A delayed flight is regarded as one more than 15 minutes late.

Garvey called the report a "tough look at ourselves."

She added, "I frankly give the controllers, the FAA management team and the airlines a lot of credit for being willing to step up and say where we can make some changes."

The new report concludes that communication needs to be improved "at all levels" of the system. It also says that equipment is not standardized, local transportation coordinators "did not always understand the impact of their individual actions" on the national air system.

The FAA has already made some improvements. Last month, Garvey announced she would give the air traffic command center authority over regional centers on traffic patterns.

She also announced there would be limits on the use of miles-in-trail spacing restrictions that have put up to 90 miles between planes when five miles is the legal minimum.

Among the recommendations:

--Shift authority to make air traffic decisions, a change already implemented. Previously, most air traffic decisions were made at the local and regional level. The move allows decision-making to accommodate the larger picture.

--Limit restrictions on distances between aircraft. Currently, planes at cruising altitude must keep at least five miles of separation, but that number is frequently increased to 20 or more nautical miles for weather and other reasons. Group members believe the separation is sometimes excessive, and that they may be able to develop new standards without compromising safety.

--Establish a system to review decisions that delay takeoffs and departures. FAA officials say current conditions for "ground stops" may be too conservative.

In addition to systemwide problems, the report noted problems affecting individual airports and regional facilities. At Chicago's O'Hare Airport, the report says, controllers had to contend with flight restrictions involving 15 different destination airports.

"We observed local controllers spending too much time looking at restrictions and not enough time looking out the windows at traffic," the report says.

The O'Hare control tower also received contradictory directives on restrictions. "On several occasions, the (traffic management coordinators) were unsure of exactly which restrictions were in effect."

Garvey said the changes already made and the proposed changes announced Wednesday will mitigate, but not solve the problem of delays.

"We're not looking for a silver bullet here," Garvey said. "We are looking for some changes that will minimize delays that will help us manage the traffic system even more efficiently than we are today, always within the bounds of safety and recognizing that modernization is the longterm answer."