Reason Foundation

Recent Research and Commentary

Air France Tragedy Prompts Question: Are Airliner Black Boxes Now Obsolete?

June 23, 2009, 12:06pm

Robert Poole

The loss of the Air France A-330 in the South Atlantic and—thus far—the inability to retrieve its cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder (the black boxes) has led to considerable discussion among aviation experts about a high-tech alternative: real-time streaming of that kind of data to airline control centers on the ground.

Airport Congestion Costs New York Billions

June 18, 2009, 2:01pm

Robert Poole

* Lost time to air travelers was $1.7 billion in 2008, and over the period 2008-2025 will likely total more than $50 billion.
* Airline costs (wasted fuel and excessive crew time) were $834 million in 2008 and will total $25 billion between now and 2025.
* Freight shippers lost $136 million in 2008, and will lose a total of $4 billion by 2025.
* Productivity losses to the regional economy were estimated at $21.5 billion over the 2008-2025 period.
* And additional emissions generated by planes in long lines waiting to take off are estimated to cause harm estimated at $1.7 billion of this time period.

Air Traffic Control Reform Newsletter #63

Topics include: GPS backup getting more attention; ATC user fees redux; steps toward "virtual towers;" ATC modernization progress in Europe; and other news.

May 26, 2009

Robert Poole

Air Traffic Control Reform Newsletter #62

Topics include: slower ATC growth; new NextGen focus on mid-term; tough sledding for EU ATC providers; Wake Vortex progress; air safety in Canada; and other news.

April 27, 2009

Robert Poole

FAA Promotes Future Air Traffic Control System on YouTube

April 23, 2009, 5:02pm

Robert Poole

I’m glad to see the FAA putting out a fairly accessible video explaining the benefits of NextGen. This is a much-needed transformation of air traffic control that offers much-improved air travel. However, it is unlikely to be implemented on time or on-budget as long as the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization remains part of a tax-funded bureaucracy, held hostage to the federal budget process.

Maybe Business Jet Groups Don't Want to Pay Their Fair Share Or Fix Their Image

April 15, 2009, 11:48am

Robert Poole

It simply argued that since business aviation uses about 10% of all air traffic control services but provides less than 3% of the system’s revenue (via Bolen’s beloved “pay at the pump” method), it would be a worthwhile symbolic move for business aviation groups like Bolen’s to support a small additional payment whose proceeds could be bonded against to provide $5 billion for much-needed air traffic control modernization. The fee, as proposed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, would be a mere $25 per flight, and it would apply only to jets and turboprops—the kinds of planes that make the greatest use of ATC services. Business jets cost their operators $1,500 to $3,000 per hour just in direct operating costs. So adding $25/flight to help modernize the ATC system would add a trivial amount to operating costs, but might help repair business aviation’s fat-cat image.

More »