Transportation Dept. Raps Delta, Eastern Flight Scheduling

Delta and Eastern airlines may be engaging in “unrealistic” flight schedules at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, the Transportation Department said Thursday.

The department suggested that the carriers schedule too many flights at peak hours, knowing that some will not depart on time.

“Our investigation of scheduling practices at Atlanta has uncovered significant discrepancies between airline schedules that are advertised to the public and the actual on-time performance for those flights,” Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Hanford Dole said in a statement.

“While some of these discrepancies may be attributable to weather and other unpredictable factors, I am concerned that Delta and Eastern may be engaging in . . . practices which violate the Federal Aviation Act.”

The department asked for public comment on whether Delta and Eastern scheduling practices should be referred to an administrative law judge. If proven guilty of such acts, the airlines would be liable for fines of up to $1,000 a day per violation, a department spokesman said.

The action came a day before major airlines are to resume meetings under the watchful eye of the Federal Aviation Administration in an attempt to agree on schedule changes that may relieve congestion at busy airports.

Airlines have been granted immunity from antitrust laws to hold such discussions. The talks were recessed last month.

The government has called for extensive reshuffling of schedules in Atlanta and Chicago and more modest shifting of takeoffs and landings at Dallas-Fort Worth, Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia.

The airlines have argued that important factors in delays are antiquated airport and air traffic control systems. They also accuse the government of not allowing the use of an $8-per-ticket surcharge on airline tickets to fix the system.

In its action Thursday, the department said its investigation shows that more than 55 Delta flights and more than 40 Eastern flights to and from Atlanta were 15 minutes or more late in arriving at least 70% of the time. This occurred, the department said, during sample weeks when there was relatively good weather in Atlanta. Included were three flights that were at least 15 minutes late 100% of the time.

An Eastern spokesman said the carrier categorically denies the allegations. “Atlanta is one of the more efficient airports in our system,” he said, and Eastern’s on-time record there is 5.25% better than the average for all 133 cities served by the carrier.

Delta labeled the charges “an absurdity” and said it was “appalled by the DOT suggestion that Delta may be engaging in deceptive scheduling practices at Atlanta.”

In a related development, American Airlines announced late Thursday that it is prepared to shift 1,010 flights and add more than 33 hours a day of flying time to “assist the process of reducing flights delays in the nation’s air transport system.”