Computer Glitch Caused Massive Flight Delays

If you flew this past weekend, I feel sorry for you. Particularly if you were flying on Friday, when the national on-time arrival rates for the seven largest airlines at the top 10 airports dropped down to: 69 percent, Continental, 67 percent, United, 65 percent, Southwest, 62 percent, Northwest, 59 percent, American, 57 percent, Delta, and 36 percent, US Airways. Essentially half of all flights nationwide were delayed Friday.

The cause of the massive nationwide delays was an air traffic control computer failing in Atlanta in the morning. By the early afternoon, delays began to pile up to several hours on other airports such as Kennedy, La Guardia, Newark, Boston, and Philadelphia.

So far this year, almost 25 percent of domestic flights have arrived late. This is the worst track record in 13 years. While some problems, such as rough weather, cannot be controlled, some causes for delays can be fixed.

James C. May, president of the Air Transport Association, has been lobbying for the FAA to improve the air traffic control system, saying “The consequences of Congress not acting aggressively to make difficult choices on a next-generation air traffic control system are going to be even more extraordinary delays.”