Aviation Congestion

The year 2007 was the second worst year for delays since 1995. In fact, nearly 27% of flights arrived late in 2007. The frequency and severity of ground delays in 2007 were unprecedented. Just under 1,300 flights experienced ground delays over 3 hours, up 24% from 2006. Additionally, there were 7,249 flight delays of 2-3 hours in 2007, an increase of more than 1,000 over the previous high in 2004 and the highest number recorded since 1995. The Air Transport Association (ATA) estimates that aviation congestion costs the economy $12.5 billion a year.

As delays have increased, so too have consumer complaints. There was a sharp rise in the number of customer complaints received by the DOT in 2007 - 13,168 - 58.2% more than the 8,325 complaints filed in 2006. Customer complaints related to flight problems - delays, cancellations, and missed connections - increased from 2,162 in 2006 to 4,465 in 2007. Flight problems are the number one air traveler complaint and have contributed to the increase complaints in other areas such as baggage and customer service.

One major cause of delays is congestion - simply put, too many planes in too little space. The Department has confronted the challenge of aviation congestion on multiple fronts - using innovative new approaches to provide targeted relief for the Nation's most congested airspace, modernizing our air traffic control system, and ensuring better consumer protection.