U.S. caps New York flights to ease delays

HERNDON, Va. -- Fewer flights will go in and out of New York City airports at the busiest times to try to ease chronic nationwide air travel delays, the government said Wednesday.

To help holiday travelers, military airspace will be opened to commercial traffic on the East and West Coasts, the government said.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters made the announcement after months of closed-door wrangling with the airlines over how to curb air traffic around New York City's three major airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey.

Delays often begin in the congested New York area then spread across the nation.

"I had hoped to be able to avoid caps but the truth is for the short term, for the next few years this is the solution that will provide some relief for travelers," Peters said.

Under new rules that take effect in March, JFK will only be allowed 82 or 83 flights per hour at peak times, down significantly from the 90 to 100 that had been scheduled this past summer. Similar caps will go into effect at Newark, but the exact number has yet to be determined. LaGuardia already has limits on flights.

The government's move means airlines will have to slash the number of flights they schedule at JFK during peak hours. Those most likely to be affected by the changes are business travelers, who prefer to fly in the morning or at the end of the day.

The region's three major airports have the worst on-time arrival record of all major U.S. airports through October. Aviation officials say delays in New York have a cascade effect throughout the system causing three-quarters of all flight delays in the nation.

UAL Corp.'s Chief Executive Glenn Tilton, who runs Chicago-based United Airlines, supports the schedule reduction as a short-term fix to reduce delays and applauded the government for addressing the issue.

"We continue to believe the long-term solution lies in providing adequate funding and commitment for a modernized (air traffic control) system and the consistent application of the proven worldwide scheduling guidelines to accommodate current and future demands," Tilton said.

Overall, the industry's on-time performance through October was the second worst on record since collection of comparable data began in 1995. Nearly one in four flights arrived late in the first 10 months of the year.