Aircraft Delays at Major U.S. Airports Can Be Reduced

In 1977, aircraft delays cost U.S. airlines over $800 million; detained the traveling public over 60 million hours; and caused the airlines to use an additional 700 million gallons of fuel, over 8% of their total consumption. Most delays occur at major airports, which have peak, congested periods when air traffic exceeds runway capacity. To reduce delays, the U.S. General Accounting Office, in a 1979 report to the Congress, urged the use of peak surcharges, quotas, and reliever airports to shift air traffic from peak to off-peak hours or to other airports.