By Roland Ohaeri
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said that it “is ready to get passengers safely and efficiently to their destinations this summer as it prepares for the largest number of flights in years.”
“The FAA is working every day to make sure you get to your destination safely and on time, especially as more people than ever gear up to fly this summer,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “While we can’t control the weather – which is the number one reason for delays – we plan for and work around convective conditions. And to improve safety and enhance efficient operations on the runway, we are installing innovative new surface surveillance technologies at airports around the nation.”
FAA said “We’re expecting Memorial Day weekend to be the busiest since 2010, with 53,515 flights on the Thursday before and 50,129 on Friday. This bodes for a very busy summer, with June 30 forecast to be the busiest day with 53,785 flights.”
In terms of delays, the FAA said weather is by far the leading cause of delays, followed by flight volume and runway capacity constraints, noting that “We’re taking extra steps this summer to mitigate these. ”
The FAA’s Command Center works closely with airlines, weather experts at each Air Traffic Center, and the National Weather Service to improve forecasts and to plan for, and around, expected bad weather.
The FAA said it is using Severe Weather Avoidance Plans and new alternative Escape Routes to get planes safely around convective weather and turbulence. The FAA will also “work collaboratively with international air traffic control facilities to move overseas flights into the United States safely and efficiently.”
The FAA is ensuring that the increase in commercial space operations does not cause delays. The FAA also said “New surface safety technologies will improve runway safety and allow smoother operations at airports. And we’re now using Integrated Departure/Arrival Capability (IDAC) at six South Florida airports to improve ground efficiency there.”
The FAA has “extensive resources to help travelers plan ahead,” while it posts a daily Air Traffic Report and Weather Squad travel outlook video which highlight potential weather disruptions. Getting down to details with tips on travelling with children and packing safely, the FAA also drew attention to its “zero-tolerance policy toward unruly airline passengers.”
