Reregulating the Airlines
This is in response to Don Schultz’s letter (Jan. 3) calling for reregulation of the airline industry. The airline industry is one of the most strictly regulated industries in the world. Procedures are in effect for training, flight and duty-time regulations for pilots and flight attendants, maintenance inspections of aircraft, checking of navigational aids, etc.
Currently, in order to remain profitable, airlines generally have a 60% load factor, which means many flights are at or near capacity, unlike pre-deregulation days. Any airline having “numerous flights with only 30% to 40% passenger occupancy” would soon be out of business. Remember People Express--it operated with a load factor of 70% to 80%--where is it now?
The government cannot mandate people to fly for business or pleasure. Is Schultz ready to pay higher ticket prices as a result of reregulation and to pay for expensive quiet aircraft that fly over the house he probably bought long after the airport was built? I think not.
Realistically, how can Schultz expect help from an Administration that fired two-thirds of the controllers overnight, turned its back on numerous training irregularities at Continental Airlines (Texas Air Corp.), and reacted in a knee-jerk fashion on numerous occasions? First there was the drug-testing issue as a solution to a nonproblem, then the closing of the visual flight rules corridor through the Los Angeles International terminal control area. (It has since been reopened.)
How about the $5-billion plus in the Aviation Trust Fund, collected on airline tickets? It is being used by the federal government as an accounting shell game to help reduce the enormous deficit. The current news on security procedures is another nonsolution. Law enforcement personnel are exempted, but not airline personnel. And airline employees can still enter secure areas by riding the employee bus from the employee parking lot to operations without ever seeing a metal detector.
Big brother and more government is not the answer. We must use all of the vast resources at our disposal; loyal employees and advancing technology will keep us on the leading edge of safety and efficiency. Hopefully, our government will be a responsible monitor for safety related items like controller staffing and maintenance on unprofitable airlines.
DEAN CHANTILES
Palm Springs
(The writer is a pilot for United Airlines.)
