US Airports
FEWER THANKSGIVING FLIERS EXPECTED
Fewer travelers will fly during the Thanksgiving holiday, estimated a trade group of domestic airlines. About 23.2 million travelers ’Äì 2% less than a year ago ’Äì will fly on U.S. carriers’ domestic and international flights between Nov. 18 and Nov. 29, said the Air Transport Association last week. Daily passenger volumes during the holiday period are projected to range from 13 million to 2.3 million. Based on sample date from 2009 and 2010, the busiest air travel days for the period are expected to be Sunday Nov. 27 and Monday, Nov. 28. The net profit of U.S. passenger airlines for the first nine months of the year fell 66%. In recent earning, major carriers have reported sluggish demand and high fuel process that continue to hamper profitability. Fuel expenses rose 38.1% in the first nine months of the year versus a year ago. (Travel.USAToday.com, Nov. 4)
NEAR MISSES ON RISE, TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS UNDER FIRE
US Airports
The number of close calls and near collisions at U.S. airports is steadily rising, leading some to point fingers at air traffic controllers. In March of this year, the National Transportation Safety Board began to require that such incidents be reported. Since then, there are nearly a dozen cases that the NTSB is investigating. Most are pointing fingers at inexperienced controllers and old technology. A new system is being developed, but even that is controversial and expensive. Federal Aviation Administration officials say this rise in near misses is not due to inexperienced controllers, and they maintain that there is a rigorous training process to ensure safety in the skies. (USAToday.com, July 6)
TRAFFIC FALLS AT MOST U.S. AIRPORTS
US Airports
