As I Expected

When the administration announced this plan to open up military airspace to passenger jets during the busy Thanksgiving travel season it sounded like a good idea to me, and I considered writing a post with a title like "Rare Good Bush Administration Idea." But then I thought to myself, "hey Matt, wtf do you know about air traffic control; lots of Bush's ideas sound good to people who don't know what they're talking about so you'd better reserve judgment." Now Fallows says it's a scam and won't do any good at all: "it's like thinking you'll be able to fit 300 cars into a 200-space parking lot if you open an additional entrance ramp." More here.

Comments

Some good discussion on the air travel delays over at Ezra's site.

Cranky

Posted by Cranky Observer | November 18, 2007 12:57 PM

I assumed the motive was to shoot down planes heading to closely contested states, as part of the White House's plans for the 2008 elections.

Posted by Rich | November 18, 2007 1:10 PM

Allowing flights through military airspace could speed up some individual flights, but it has nothing to do with the congestion at and over the airports which is the real delaying factor.

Posted by skeptonomist | November 18, 2007 3:10 PM

Read this discussion by Don Brown, retired air traffic controller, to find out that (1) military airspace is usually open (2) more military airspace is always open on holidays (3) this has no effect on delays.

Cranky

Posted by Cranky Observer | November 18, 2007 6:43 PM

Yeah, right ... the delays aren't in the air, they're in getting to and from that air(space).

But perhaps you were struck, as I was, by what seemed like the Bush administration actually attempting to do something that seemed liked "problem-solving", as opposed to just ignoring a problem, as a policy.

Posted by anthony b. | November 19, 2007 3:14 PM