In my family, you don’t talk politics, especially over a nice Christmas dinner. The ensuing argument, fists pounding on tables, and loud angry voices would definitely kill the Christmas spirit. (Did I mention we’re German?)
But it seems such conversations are unavoidable of late in aviation.
In one month’s time, we’ve seen the following:
Yes to knives. Oops. No. Wait a minute. We changed our minds
Once in awhile, governmental agencies adopt policies that are logical, based in fact and research, and meant to truly make a difference. This is not what happened here. In March, the FAA said it would allow knives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches, golf clubs, hockey sticks and more on planes.
Then in April, like a wishy-washy woman unable to make up her mind, the TSA pushed the April 25th start date for this policy to an unspecified date in the future "in order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee."
To Furlough or Not to Furlough is No Longer the Question
Also this month, the FAA announced it had no choice but to furlough 47,000 agency employees, including nearly 15,000 air traffic controllers. It was all part of an effort to save $600 million annually.
That furlough lasted about a week. As flight delays piled up (on-time performance of airlines dropped 9 percentage points and thousands of flights were delayed), the ire of the traveling public grew. Not only that but the predicted savings just wasn’t there as on-duty air traffic controllers worked overtime to meet demand. At this point Congress approved legislation to put furloughed controllers back on the job.
What about those air traffic control towers?
What about them? Though air-traffic controller furloughs ended over the weekend, no one seems to know yet whether the legislation that untangled the flight delay mess also addressed the 149 small airport traffic-control towers slated for reduced hours or closure as of June 15.
Will we see a reversal on this too?
How’s the weather out there?
U.S. airports also face the loss of FAA contract weather observers (CWOs) as the FAA moves to shut down the CWO program, which provides supplemental weather observations to those produced by automated weather observation systems and act as backup observers in the event of the failure of these automated systems. A total of 121 airports will ultimately lose their CWOs in several rounds of closures, starting in May and continuing through August. FAA tower controllers will supposedly perform these weather observations instead, though the FAA has already suggested that airport operators may need to provide supplemental weather observers to collect weather data as well.
Cloudy skies ahead?
Whatever side of the political fence you lean on, it’s hard not to look at the happenings on Capitol Hill, scratch your head and wonder: Has everyone taken leave of their senses?
It’s time to talk politics. It’s time to make sure your voice is heard (wherever you stand with your beliefs). It appears the folks in Washington need some help making up their mind. And remember, it’s OK to do this as long as you are not sitting down to Christmas dinner at my parent’s house.
THUMBS UP
United Airlines Expects To Save 85 Million Gallons of Fuel In 2013
United Airlines announced its goal to save 85 million gallons of fuel in 2013, equivalent to 828,750 metric tons of CO2 or roughly $275 million dollars at current fuel prices.
United has already improved its fuel efficiency by 32 percent since 1994 through programs such as improved flight planning, single engine taxiing, lighter products onboard, and the use of ground power instead of the onboard auxiliary power unit to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions while aircraft are parked.
The airline is also investing in a modern, fuel-efficient fleet to replace less fuel-efficient aircraft. In 2012, United ordered 150 brand-new Boeing 737 narrow-body aircraft powered by fuel-efficient CFM engines. United also plans to improve the performance of its current fleet with the new Split Scimitar winglet, which is an advanced and improved winglet for the 737 Next-Gen aircraft that helps the aircraft consume up to 25 percent less fuel per seat than the 737-500 aircraft the company is retiring.
THUMBS DOWN
Weight-based Ticketing
Amid a growing debate about how to price airline tickets for so-called passengers of size, Air Samoa, which flies in the Pacific region, including American Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tonga, says its weight-based pricing policy is the fairest way to charge for a ticket.
Rates start at $1 per kilo (about 2.2 pounds), which includes the weight of both the flyer and his or her baggage. For longer routes, rates run as high as $4.16 per kilo.
A statement from Samoa Air said: "You are the master of your air 'fair', you decide how much (or little) your ticket will cost. No more exorbitant excess baggage fees or being charged for baggage you may not carry. Your weight plus your baggage items, is what you pay for. Simple."
The company's website says: "Booking a flight with us is as easy as inputting your approximate weight into our online booking engine (don't worry, we will weigh you again at the airport) – you then can prepay your 'guesstimate', guaranteeing you that much weight is allocated to you for that flight … with Samoa Air, you are the master of how much (or little!) your air ticket will cost."
