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PITTSBURGH, PA - With little or no congestion, Pittsburgh International Airport won't be charging landing fees based on the time flights land or traffic volume, as a new federal policy allows.

But that doesn't mean there won't be repercussions for travelers here.

Some analysts believe the proposed policy, introduced last week by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, will simply result in increased ticket prices, as airlines pass along higher costs to consumers.

Mike Boyd, a Colorado-based aviation consultant, said the policy, if implemented, could increase prices for Pittsburgh travelers flying into heavily congested airports like JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

The proposed policy, which is undergoing a 45-day public comment period before it is finalized, would allow congested airports to charge landing fees based on when a flight arrives as well as on traffic volume rather than on the plane's weight, as is usually the case.

Ms. Peters is hoping the policy will help airports reduce delays by pushing airlines to spread out their flights more evenly throughout the day. The policy is aimed primarily at airports along the East Coast which are among the worst for delays and on-time arrival percentages.

It's no sure thing that any of those airports -- or any others -- will implement the new policy. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, said such "small steps don't address the fundamental problem when dramatic action is needed."

Analysts like Mr. Boyd aren't the only ones who believe the policy could increase costs to travelers.

The Air Transport Association of America, which represents the leading U.S. airlines, said in a statement the policy was "nothing more than congestion pricing disguised as an airport fee."

"Unfortunately, that does nothing to fix the primary cause of delays -- our nation's increasingly antiquated air traffic control system. Second, additional fees such as these will only increase the cost of flying for the consumer," the statement said.

Bradley D. Penrod, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, said there are no plans to implement the policy at Pittsburgh International, which has plenty of capacity and virtually no congestion because of the dramatic cutbacks by US Airways.

Even at the US Airways peak in Pittsburgh, when it had more than 500 flights a day, there was rarely congestion, he said.

"There's no benefit to that rule for us at this time," he said.

But Mr. Penrod believes there is a chance the new policy eventually could bring more traffic to Pittsburgh, mainly from airlines which use major congested airports as connecting hubs. Increased landing fees and higher fuel prices potentially could force some of those airlines to look for alternatives such as Pittsburgh.

"We become very friendly from a cost perspective and an efficiency perspective to accommodate those airplanes," he said.

But Mr. Boyd, who has done work for Pittsburgh International in the past, didn't see it that way.

"You have to go where people want to go," he said. "If people want to go to Westchester County, they're not going to fly into Pittsburgh. This is not a benefit to anyone."

Mr. Boyd is no fan of the proposed policy, calling it a "dumb idea."

"It wasn't thought out. It's a slap-dash solution. It covers up the problem. It doesn't fix it," he said.

He believes the entire air traffic control system must be redesigned to take advantage of vast stretches of air space that go unused each day. He said the current system is based on keeping airplanes in "nice, neat" corridors that use only about 3 percent of available air space.

"This administration said three months ago that they are going to fix the problem. They're not fixing it. They're making it worse. They're covering it up," he said.

But local analyst Bill Lauer said the new policy "appears to be a reasonable approach in a capitalist system. It's kind of a back door way to impose almost slot control on virtually every airport in the country. But at least the slots are subject to the rules of the marketplace."

He said some travelers may be willing to pay more to fly at the most convenient times rather than at off-peak hours.

Even before the new policy was announced, the heavily congested East Coast airports were facing flight caps starting in March to try to cut down on delays.

JFK will be limited to 82 or 83 flights an hour at peak times, down from about 100 an hour last summer. Newark also will be facing caps, although the exact number has yet to be determined. Caps already are in place at LaGuardia.

Copyright 2008 PG Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. From http://www.post-gazette.com.
By Mark Belko with The Associated Press contributing.
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