DOT Sets JFK Capacity Talks

Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters called for a meeting of airlines serving JFK to discuss schedule cutbacks to alleviate congestion there. The meeting between FAA and the airlines is set for October 23 and 24. The scheduling meeting is part of a two-pronged approach to address chronic New York delays, Secretary Peters said. She also has charged a group of airline, airport and travel officials with developing a series of additional measures to reduce congestion at New York’s three major airports before the start of the 2008 summer travel season.
Airlines at JFK increased their scheduled operations by 41 percent between March 2006 and August 2007, Secretary Peters said. As a result, the number of arrival delays exceeding one hour increased by 114 percent in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2007, compared to the same period the previous year. During June and July 2007, on-time arrival performance at JFK was only 59 percent, she said.