Schmidt: Bad news for air travelers to Chicago, NYC

Rep. Jean Schmidt today released a 2-page "executive summary" of her study into tarmac delays of three hours or more in 2006. Unfortunately, it's not yet posted on her Web site, so we can't share it with you.

Some highlights, according to a release her office e-mailed to reporters this evening:

"In 2006, some 1,295 flights reported to the Department of Transportation that passengers were forced to sit in their seats for more than three hours before take off or after landing. What's more, 1,295 woefully under reports the actual number of frustrating delays. We do a pitiful job of actually measuring these types of delays," Schmidt said in the release.

Under current procedures at the Department of Transportation, delayed flights that are eventually cancelled or even flights that are diverted are not counted as delayed.

"I believe the number of tarmac delays recorded by the DOT is off by as much as 50 percent. We need the facts. My bill, included in the FAA Reauthorization, will require all of the delays to be reported. Only then will we have the true picture," Schmidt said.

Schmidt's study of the reported delays showed that half of all delays occur in the Northeast Corridor, with Chicago topping the list of the 10 airports where air travelers are most likely to be delayed more than 3 hours. New York City's three airports also were in the top five.

"The problem causing these delays is an air traffic control system that is at capacity. Sure there are plenty of stupid actions compounding the issue but we have to either increase the bandwidth of our control system or act to reduce flights. Technology will help us solve this problem but we need to act now," Schmidt said.