Nov. 15, 2007/10:19AM
"Will Announce Air Traffic Control Changes Before Thanksgiving; Targets Northeast

 President Bush Thursday will announce a sweeping government response to record flight delays, reports White House correspondent Peter Maer. A White House official tells CBS News the plan will confront next week's holiday rush. It will also deal with longer-term issues.

The administration will call for new FAA air traffic control efforts to respond to non-weather-related delays. In a radio interview with CBS News, Air Traveler's Association president David Stempler said the administration "will make some quick air traffic control improvements to try to get a lot more efficiency for the Thanksgiving and holiday period." Stempler said future plans include new approaches and departure paths at New York's JFK Airport and access to air space currently used by the military.

Many of the immediate fixes and long range proposals target what the administration describes as "the most overstressed" part of the system, the frequently-clogged Northeast Corridor. Many flight delay problems start in the New York City region. The administration says up to a third of the nation's air traffic flies through the area and two-thirds of all flights nationwide can be affected by delays around New York City airports. The administration has considered fining airlines for operating chronically delayed flights. " [Via cbsnews.com]

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