Airlines Use Low-Altitude Flights to Ease Delays

ByABC News
August 23, 2000, 6:13 AM

D A L L A S, Aug. 23 -- In a travel season rife with late arrivals and canceled flights, several airlines have begun flying at lower altitudes, trading fuel efficiency for on-time arrivals.

The FAA more than a year ago gave airlines approval to operatesome short flightsup to 500 milesat between 8,000 feet and23,000 feet. But airlines had resisted until recently becauseflying through denser air at lower altitudes burns more fuel.

But with thousands of flight delays drawing the ire of travelersand the eye of federal regulators, more airlines are turning tothis quick fix.

New Task Force

After meeting with airline, union and airport executives Monday,Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater announced the formation of atask force to monitor airline service.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported more than 44,000flight delays in July alone, and that was an improvement from June.Delays have been attributed to increased numbers of peopletraveling, bad weather andat least for one airlinelabordisagreements.

Another contributing factor: some 670 million Americans will flythis year, up 20 million from a year ago and an increase that istaxing the system and could not have been foreseen, Slater said.

Low-altitude routes are not as congested as the high-altitudeones, allowing planes to travel faster. The less-busy flight pathsalso enable planes to get off the ground more quickly instead ofhaving to wait in line to be cleared for takeoff, said FAAspokesman Paul Turk.

In addition, planes flying low-altitude routes spend less timeclimbing to cruising altitude and descending for a landing.

Routes Tested

Standard cruising altitude for jetliners is between 33,000 and39,000 feet.

Northwest Airlines, TWA, Delta, Continental and US Airwaystested the routes in some cities this spring. At Chicagos busyOHare International Airport, United Airlines began rerouting somedeparting planes to underused, lower-altitude flight paths in June.