Delays and cancellations were all too often the stories of the summer for passengers around the United States and worldwide. While it was natural to cast blame toward the obvious for travel disruptions, the truth is far more complex, with various factors that led to where we are today. With the end-of-year holidays upon us, it is critical to ask if the same will recur, will the perfect storm disrupt travel as millions of Americans are on their way to see their families?
While I hoped these problems would have been resolved months ago, little to no headway has been made. The problems that rippled across the delicate system of airports and aircraft operations seem to remain.
Florida is an excellent case study for what occurred and what will recur. As the number of aircraft and aerospace users rapidly grew in the state, the problem of managing each of their needs became nearly impossible.
The number of general aviation flights (private aircraft) increased by 100,000 in one year during the pandemic, as the popularity of Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach and other communities was reflected in the number of people attempting to reach them. In addition, ultra-low-cost carriers such as Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier scrambled for territory, pushing for additional flights, nearly doubling in total number.
On top of these competing forces are space companies. It is not just Elon Musk but more businesses than ever jumping onto this train, launching rockets that temporarily cut off air routes. While successful space launches are to be celebrated, the likelihood of more disruptive operations in Florida means more headaches, as each rocket requires a wide range of airspace to be closed to protect aircraft. If the current trend holds, with the number of launches increasing, there will be even more closures and potential chaos for passengers to navigate.
These problems are not isolated to Florida. Private jet travel accounts for nearly 12 percent of flights, while space launches are open to more than just the Sunshine State. The agency overseeing it all — the Federal Aviation Administration — is trying to weigh all these demands.
The airspace traffic jams could happen more frequently and in more locations around the country. Travelers are now bystanders as multiple forces compete over the limited room in the sky. In 2022, the federal government directed nearly $1 billion in funding to airports to improve terminals and build air-traffic control towers. Now it is time to help the agency monitoring the day-to-day operations of those airports.
It should be a priority to get passengers to their final destinations, not discourage travel and the spending that goes with it. There are definite benefits to keeping commercial flights delivering hundreds of passengers on schedule. When travelers can consistently count on their flights landing on time, that’s a win for the entire aviation industry. Congress and the administration should examine ways to help the FAA complete its mission and make passengers happier.
