Schumer Sees Sound Bite Opportunity, Responds Predictably

The general aviation community has come to know US Senator Charles Schumer as an opponent of small aircraft operators. Perhaps it will help to know the New York Democrat is also a thorn in the side of the US Department of Transportation.

Back in December, DOT announced a series of measures aimed at avoiding a rerun of last year's summertime airline delays. One of the cornerstones was a cap on hourly operations at Kennedy and Newark, as ANN reported.

Now, Newsday reports DOT's own inspector general predicts the caps won't help. "...[H]istory shows that caps do not necessarily translate into a significant reduction in delays or an increase in airline on-time performance," the report, issued last week, reads.

Like a moth to flame... or, well, a politician to a microphone... Schumer seized on last week's report to make headlinesm of his own.

"This report spells serious trouble for New York City air passengers this summer," the bombastic senator said. "This report proves what we have been saying all along -- we need to take broad, concrete steps to overhaul our aviation system, not half-measures and guesses."

The senator says the FAA should consider reopening military airspace to passenger flights, as it did during last year's holiday season, and act on dozens of Port Authority recommendations for improving area airports.

DOT spokesman Brian Turmail put at least part of the blame on, "Congress' continued failure to act on needed reforms," including funding for new air traffic control technology. In other words, user fees are the required fix.

Turmail also criticized policies that, "discourage airlines from setting schedules that are unrelated to the capacity of local airports." He added the department is already working with the military to arrange for additional airspace this summer.

FMI: www.dot.gov