Airline congestion that is having a domino effect on the entire industry has gotten so bad at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport that US regulators are looking at a perhaps unprecedented move of capping commercial flights there.
“We are going to get schedules in line with present capacity at O’Hare,” Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta told airline executives at a meeting to discus the issue.
US regulators say the delays at O’Hare are slowing down the rest of the nation’s aviation system.
O’Hare is the world’s busiest airport measured by the number of flights per day. It handles about 3,000 arrivals and departures daily.
Delays at O’Hare, which is a major center for US and international flights, are often caused by bad weather.
About 66% of arrivals have been on time this year, compared to the 82% system-wide goal set by the Federal Aviation Administration, officials said.
O’Hare has up to 101 arrivals an hour, which airline officials want to cut to 90, with even shaper limits during peak times.
Discussions have been ongoing with regulators and the airlines to voluntarily cut back flights.
“We will have to take action unilaterally if we can’t come to an agreement,” said Marion Blakey, head of the FAA.
Report by David Wilkening
