http://www.oig.dot.gov/rss.jsp?subject=18 The 10 most recent releases on the U.S. DoT OIG web site related to Capacity, Delays & Customer Service en-US webmaster@oig.dot.gov (OIG Webmaster) http://www.oig.dot.gov/images/dot.gif http://www.oig.dot.gov/rss.jsp?subject=18 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2557 On October 28, 2009, the Inspector General testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation regarding FAA actions required to address the recommendations of a joint Government/Industry task force report for achieving midterm goals for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).The Inspector General noted that NextGen is a high risk effort and a top management challenge for the Department and FAA. A number of operational and management decisions must be addressed to successfully transition to NextGen and address the task forces recommendations. These include maximizing the benefits of performance based navigation initiatives and managing NextGen efforts as integrated portfolios of investments. The Inspector General noted that the findings of the task force are consistent with our work but also identified several new areas for FAAs attention.To move beyond endorsing the task forces recommendations, the Inspector General stated that FAA must set realistic expectations for NextGen. Specifically, FAA must: (1) develop plans to initiate action and establish a 5year funding profile for the NextGen midterm, (2) establish metrics for assessing and measuring progress, and (3) develop and implement a strategy for linking near and midterm efforts with the Agencys longterm plans for transforming the National Airspace System. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2557 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2556 On October 21, 2009, we issued our report on FAAs actions to implement 77 initiatives of the New York Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). We conducted this audit at the request of the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, who expressed the Subcommittees concern about the effectiveness of delayreduction efforts at the New York airports. Our audit objective was to examine FAAs progress in implementing the 77 ARC initiatives. We found that, while FAA reported many of these initiatives as complete, most are not being used or are used infrequently due to limited tactical need, operational and technical problems, unfinished testing, and controller/airline issues. Other initiatives face challenges, such as special equipment and training requirements or litigation, or are part of nationwide FAA programs that will not be completed until 2012 or later. While FAA has begun addressing these issues, much work remains to be done. We recommended that FAA (1) assess completed and remaining initiatives to determine whether they are providing benefits or should be discontinued or recategorized, (2) resolve technical, operational, and controller/airline issues affecting many of the initiatives reported as completed, and (3) fully operationalize the Integration Offices NY Area Delay Reduction Plan and Schedule. FAA generally concurred with our recommendations. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2556 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2472 On May 20, the Inspector General testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation on progress and remaining challenges with the Department of Transportations (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) efforts to reduce flight delays and improve airline customer service. The Inspector General stated that the air traveler experience in 2008 improved over 2007 with fewer flight delays and a drop in consumer complaints. However, the Inspector General noted that these improvements were primarily driven by flight cutbacks that airlines implemented in the face of last years unprecedented fuel prices and onset of the global economic downturn. Also, despite the overall decrease in airline delays, high levels of delay continued at some larger, congested airports, which can affect flights throughout the National Airspace System. Although the current delay statistics and customer service trends look favorable, history shows that traffic will rebound given the intrinsic value of air transport to the Nations livelihood. FAA now has an opportunity to strategically position itself for a rebound in air travel. Absent changes, rising air travel will increase the number of delays and cancellations as well as air traveler dissatisfaction. The Inspector General highlighted key actions needed from DOT and FAA. These include: reevaluating the 77 initiatives for delay reduction in the New York area recommended by DOTs Aviation Rulemaking Committee; continuing to pursue shortterm initiatives that can boost capacity and reduce delays systemwide before completion of FAAs longer term solution to congestion and delaysthe Next Generation Air Transportation System, targeted for 2018; and finalizing a rulemaking to enhance airline passenger protections. Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2472 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2420 On February 11, 2009, the Inspector General testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation on key issues regarding FAA reauthorization. FAA does not have a longterm authorization or funding mechanism in place and has been operating on a shortterm extension since September, which expires next month. However, the aviation environment has changed significantly since Congress last debated proposals for reauthorizing and financing FAA. The current economic crisis and volatile fuel costs have forced many airlines to make major service cuts, although load factors remain high. The decline in traffic has also impacted the Aviation Trust Fund, the largest source of revenue for FAAs $15 billion annual budget.Notwithstanding the uncertainties facing the industry, this situation provides FAA with opportunities to focus on key challenges it must address to be strategically positioned for an industry rebound. The Inspector General noted four overarching areas that need to be at the center of FAAs efforts over the next several years: (1) maintaining public confidence in FAAs ability to provide oversight of a dynamic industry, (2) setting expectations and budget priorities for NextGen, (3) bolstering key safety workforces, and (4) financing future airport development while facing unstable longterm airport funding mechanisms. Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2420 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2361 On September 26, 2008, we issued our review of the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) shortterm capacity initiatives. The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Aviation Subcommittee requested that we provide observations on the initiatives that will provide the most capacity benefits in the next 5 years and FAAs management of these efforts. The longterm solution to increasing capacity and reducing delays depends largely on expanding capacity through the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), which is targeted for the 2025 timeframe. Although FAA is exploring ways to accelerate NextGen, much work remains to set realistic expectations for when capacityenhancing initiatives can be delivered. While there is no “silver bullet” for addressing delays, we identified several FAA initiatives planned or underway that can provide some relief from delays and boost capacity over the next 3 to 5 years. These include new airport infrastructure, airspace redesign, performancebased navigation initiatives, and automated controller tools. Each initiative, however, faces challenges that must be fully addressed. FAA has recently taken several steps to better organize and manage capacity initiatives and to help implement NextGen. These include establishing a new Senior Vice President for NextGen Implementation and Operations Planning and a new office dedicated to NextGen efforts. The details of these efforts are still evolving, however, and it is too soon to evaluate their effectiveness. Therefore, we are not making any recommendations at this time but will continue to monitor FAAs ongoing actions. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2361 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2285 On April 9, 2008, the Inspector General testified on initiatives underway to address delays and improve airline customer service before the House Subcommittee on Aviation. The testimony was in response to the Chairmans request for an “afteraction” analysis of (1) contributing factors to last summers recordbreaking flight delays; (2) the status of ongoing efforts by DOT, the airlines, and airports to improve airline customer service in response to record delays and our recommendations last September; and (3) actions needed to mitigate congestion and delays.The summer of 2007 was part of the worst year on record for flight disruptions. From January through December of 2007, over 1 in 4 flights (29 percent) were delayed or cancelled, affecting about 163 million passengers. These flight disruptions hit alltime highs over the summer, with all delayed flights up by 15 percent over the summer of 2006. Further, flight cancellations increased by 28 percent over the summer of 2006, affecting nearly 3.2 million passengers.The Inspector General reported that these flight delays and cancellations were caused by multiple factors, including weather conditions, carriercaused delays, airspace congestion, and airline scheduling over airport capacity.Since the Inspector General testified last September, DOT, the airlines, and airports have progressed toward improved airline customer service, but much work remains. The Inspector General noted that Secretary Peters has made reducing delays and improving the treatment of travelers a top priority within the Department; in particular, the Secretary has taken steps to address delays and congestion in the New York airspace, which impact the system nationwide.The Inspector General outlined several nearterm actions that are needed to reduce congestion and delays in the summer of 2008 and beyond. For the Department, these actions include negotiating a plan with the Department of Defense to utilize specialuse airspace as additional lanes of traffic at specific chokepoints. Actions needed from FAA include expanding the number of Airspace Flow Program locations and establishing procedures to keep capacity benchmarks for the major airports current. The Inspector General also recommended that BTS use airlines delay and cancellation data to analyze locations of initial delays, underlying causes of systemwide effects, and the role of airports as net generators or absorbers of delays. This would provide the Congress, DOT, FAA, and other stakeholders with a better understanding of the causes of delays and the solution sets needed to address them. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2285 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2229 The Inspector General testified on FAAs fiscal year 2009 budget request before the House Subcommittee on Aviation. The Inspector General stated that FAA is facing the formidable challenge of operating and maintaining an increasingly strained aviation system while transitioning to the next generation of air traffic control. FAA will face challenges in these efforts as it does not have a longterm reauthorization or financing mechanism in place. The Inspector General noted that reaching agreement on a financing mechanism is an urgent matter because taxing and spending authority for FAA programs will expire on February 29, 2008. The Inspector Generals testimony focused on key issues that require Agency attention, regardless of the funding mechanism that Congress ultimately chooses, as they will shape FAAs funding requirements over the next several years. These include: (1) keeping existing modernization projects on track and moving forward with the Next Generation Air Traffic Management System (NextGen), (2) addressing attrition and training issues within FAAs air traffic controller and safety inspector workforces, and (3) establishing realistic funding levels for airports. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2229 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2144 The Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee requested that we conduct a review and provide observations regarding FAAs oversight of commuter and ondemand operators. Specifically, we were asked to (1)evaluate the differences between FAA regulation and oversight of commuter and ondemand operators versus requirements and oversight provided for larger commercial air carriers; (2) identify specific issues that may hinder FAA in its oversight, such as a lack of adequate data on commuter and ondemand operations; and (3) provide recommendations to improve FAA oversight of these operators. Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2144 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2132 The Inspector General testified on September 27, 2007, before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security. Earlier this year, after expressing serious concerns about the airlines treatment of passengers during extended ground delays, Secretary Peters requested that we examine the specific incidents involving American Airlines and JetBlue Airways, during which passengers were stranded on board aircraft for extended periods of time, and the Air Transport Associations memberairlines contingency plans for dealing with long, onboard delays. She also requested that we highlight industry best practices that can help to mitigate these situations and provide recommendations on what actions should be taken to prevent a recurrence of such events. Based on the results of our review, we identified four key points on actions that would help to improve airline customer service and minimize long, onboard delays: (1) the airlines should specify in detail their policies and plans to minimize long, onboard delays and offload passengers within certain periods of time and adhere to such policies; (2) airports operators should become more involved in contingency planning for extraordinary flight disruptions; (3) there are best practices and ongoing initiatives that, if properly executed, should help to mitigate long, onboard delays in the immediate term; and (4) DOT, FAA, airlines, and airports should complete actions immediately on outstanding recommendationssome dating back to 2001to improve airline customer service and minimize long, onboard delays. Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2132 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2130 The Inspector General testified on September 26, 2007, before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation. Earlier this year, after expressing serious concerns about the airlines treatment of passengers during extended ground delays, Secretary Peters requested that we examine the specific incidents involving American Airlines and JetBlue Airways, during which passengers were stranded on board aircraft for extended periods of time, and the Air Transport Associations memberairlines contingency plans for dealing with long, onboard delays. She also requested that we highlight industry best practices that can help to mitigate these situations and provide recommendations on what actions should be taken to prevent a recurrence of such events.Based on the results of our review, we identified four key points on actions that would help to improve airline customer service and minimize long, onboard delays: (1) the airlines should specify in detail their policies and plans to minimize long, onboard delays and offload passengers within certain periods of time and adhere to such policies; (2) airports operators should become more involved in contingency planning for extraordinary flight disruptions; (3) there are best practices and ongoing initiatives that, if properly executed, should help to mitigate long, onboard delays in the immediate term; and (4) DOT, FAA, airlines, and airports should complete actions immediately on outstanding recommendationssome dating back to 2001to improve airline customer service and minimize long, onboard delays. Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2130