Spending cuts could see runway closures
2013-02-27 21:46
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Washington - Deep spending cuts could force the world's
busiest airport and others in the US to close runways, causing widespread
flight delays and cancellations, the union representing air traffic controllers
said on Wednesday.
The billions of dollars in spending cuts are scheduled to
go into effect across the government on Friday, but furloughs of air traffic
controllers won't begin until April because the Federal Aviation Administration
is required by law to give its employees advance notice.
That will delay most of the impact of the spending cuts
on air travel for at least a month.
Significant furloughs would leave too few controllers to
handle planes at the world's busiest airport, Atlanta's Hartsfield
International Airport, for example, forcing the closure of one of its three
runways, said the report by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Instead of 126 landings per hour, there would be only 96
landings, the report said.
Houston's Intercontinental and Chicago's O'Hare airports
may also have to close runways, it said.
"What Congress and everybody needs to understand is
that the world's busiest airport runs like a Swiss watch," said Victor
Santore, the union's Southern regional vice president.
"If you slow down the arrival rate, the national
airspace system will most certainly suffer. It takes hours to recover at
Hartsfield."
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has predicted that
flights to cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco could experience
delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours because fewer controllers will be
on duty.
The union report called that estimate "conservative”.
- AP
