"The real solution is not reducing traffic to fit
capacity. We must expand capacity to handle the growing
traffic."
Source: DOT Secretary Norman Mineta, speaking
at the FAA Forecast Conference Tuesday in Washington, DC. In his
speech, Mineta predicted domestic air travel will top one billion
passengers a year by 2015 -- whether the nation's aviation system
is prepared to handle it or not. Mineta also said the FAA will need
a new funding stream to handle the impending crisis; currently,
trust fund revenues are collected based on a percentage of the cost
of airline tickets -- and those revenues have dropped in
recent years due to cheaper airfares.