Confronting Congestion at California Airports

I was disappointed that the members of Congress opposing LAX expansion do not appear, from your May 4 article, to be proposing essential elements in dealing with congestion at our major airports. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles Basin are the two richest, most populated and well-traveled areas of 350 miles or less distance from each other without a high-speed rail connection. And flights on small commuter planes and 737s from Central Valley cities like Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield to the two regions, as well as San Diego to L.A. flights, further add to the potential of high-speed rail to reduce airport congestion even as the state population grows.

The other part of any rational plan is for any congested airport to alter landing and takeoff fees by the degree of congestion and to only allow the scheduling of as many flights as can be handled safely given typical weather conditions. There is no reason for 737s or commuter planes to be taking valuable slots during the times of day when the airport is overwhelmed. Airlines would be forced to use larger but fewer planes during peak hours and also to pay more for those slots. The cost of slots during nonpeak hours would be drastically reduced, since the total budget for airport operation remains the same.

Ken Niemi

San Francisco