Airline CEOs can say some fascinating issues at occasions, and right here’s the most recent instance of that…
Barry Biffle desires so as to add restrictions on personal jets
Frontier Airways CEO Barry Biffle is a great man (regardless of the provider’s difficult monetary state), and he’s an vital voice within the airline trade. That’s partially as a result of he’s typically campaigning for various issues than what the CEOs of the “large 4” carriers are asking for, given his firm’s completely different enterprise mannequin and challenges.
So whereas Biffle is usually going after lack of competitors within the trade, plus slot controls at airports, he now has a brand new goal — personal jets. Biffle took to LinkedIn, to share how he’s campaigning so as to add restrictions on personal jet flights. Right here’s what he wrote (and I simply added some spacing, to make it simpler to learn):
Have you ever ever had your flight cancelled on account of ATC or a floor cease? Was it a peak day like Thanksgiving Sunday, 12/26, New Years Day or Pres Day? Have been you flying out of Florida? If it occurs once more have a look and see what number of PJs are flying that day.
Right here’s what occurs. Airways need to file their flight plan concurrently our schedule. A personal jet desires to go away on the identical time. They and we all know we are going to possible get a floor delay program of two or three hours. The PJ merely recordsdata for an earlier time after which will get to go away once they needed to go away as soon as they get the delay program.
Sadly, airways typically find yourself having to cancel as a result of these delays stack up and outing our crews. There’s a easy answer for this and the FAA already has it accessible. They management excessive demand occasions just like the Tremendous Bowl already by setting reservations.
I’m assembly with the FAA subsequent week and hoping we will get traction on frequent sense approaches that permit us to cease cancelling flights ruining holidays for a whole bunch of individuals to profit just a few flying from Palm Seashore to NY.
All of us have to demand frequent sense approaches to defending journey for the plenty. Obtain this app so you may see who’s flying when your flight will get cancelled. I’ll let you understand how the FAA assembly goes.
Does Biffle have some extent about personal jet flights?
In concept, I agree with the premise of what Biffle is saying. There’s no denying that non-public jets contribute to crowding within the skies, and when there’s a floor delay program, it’s fairly wild how a personal jet that is likely to be carrying two folks will get no much less precedence than a jet carrying 200 folks. If we’re going to take a look at this from a “best good for the best variety of folks” standpoint, he’s completely proper. Nonetheless, I feel there are three vital counterpoints…
Initially, I feel Biffle might be overestimating the extent to which personal jet operators are primarily “gaming the system” and creating faux departure occasions in anticipation of floor delay packages. That’s not really easy to do if in case you have a buyer onboard, because it could possibly be that the bottom delay program doesn’t really work out as you count on. So is that this a minor difficulty? Sure. However I feel on the record of issues that trigger Frontier Airways flight delays, this doesn’t rank wherever close to the highest.
Second of all, different US airways (not Frontier) aren’t precisely doing an important job serving to with congestion both. Simply have a look at how at among the most congested and slot managed airports within the nation, regional jets are the commonest plane sort. In fact carrying 76 passengers is healthier than carrying two passengers, however nonetheless…
Third of all, america is exclusive in having a overwhelming majority of airports be authorities owned and public use. It’s a fairly particular facet of our aviation ecosystem, as airports are typically accessible to any person, and entry isn’t simply given to the very best bidder.
So it’s sort of humorous, as a result of airports in america are “democratized” a bit greater than in different elements of the world. However on this case, the advantage of that’s primarily to the rich, with these much less effectively off paying the worth.
Backside line
Frontier Airways CEO Barry Biffle is claiming that non-public jets are responsible for a lot of airline delays. When floor delay packages go into impact, he states that non-public jet operators typically sport the system, claiming they’ve an earlier departure time than they actually do, in anticipation of a floor delay.
Whereas his factors could also be true to some extent, I feel within the scheme of issues that trigger delays, that doesn’t actually rank up there. I’m curious precisely what Biffle desires the FAA to do, so let’s see what comes of this…
What do you make of Biffle’s personal jet commentary?
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