News: Bush Announces Changes To Help Air Traffic Congestion

President Bush has announced that airlines will double payments to passengers who are bumped off overbooked flights and open some restricted air space to commercial flights, two of a series of measures to help mitigate air traffic congestion.

The new payments will grant passengers forced to wait more than two hours after being bumped a minimum of $800 in compensation instead of the $400 they currently receive.

Bush also announced steps designed to reduce wait times during the upcoming holiday season. From Wednesday (November 21st) until Sunday (November 25th), military flights will be curtailed in certain areas to create a “Thanksgiving express lane” stretching from Maine to Florida. The FAA will also impose a “holiday moratorium” on non-essential maintenance projects so all FAA personnel can focus on keeping flights on time.

Other longer term steps include collaboration between the FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to reduce bottlenecks in the New York area, which is a source of flight delays in other areas of the country.

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Tags: ATC, Airlines, Flying, Travel
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