Aviation News

FAA Extends Rules to Start New Flights from 

O’Hare-Aviation Daily reports the FAA will give 

airlines that buy, sell or lease slots at Chicago 

O’Hare Airport until Jan. 27, 2007 to start new 

flights. The change is an adjustment to the current rules governing slot allocation that expire at 

the end of the month and require flights to start 

by Dec. 31. The agency recently dropped the 

two-year-old ban for transferring slots through 

various means contained in the current regulations, which become null when the final rule 

takes effect in November. Keeping the Dec. 31 

deadline “could arguably permit the order to 

continue after it has expired,” FAA explained. The 

agency also stated, “Additionally, we are amending the Final Rule to specify that initial allocations 

under the rule require operations to commence 

no later than Jan. 27.” The FAA noted current 

rules that expire at the end of the month don’t 

specify the steps an operator must complete 

before it gets a nod to start service from the 

airport during peak hours. The agency said it 

expects that new entrant and limited incumbent 

carriers need to display an intent to start flights, 

even if that service doesn’t start by the time the 

rulemaking expires.

Delta Announces Expansion to Emerging 

Markets-The Wall Street Journal reports Delta 

announced a new round of expansion to emerg- ing markets, including flights to Dubai and to 

Bucharest, Romania, while laying the ground- work for future expansion to Asia. Delta is trying 

to catch up with several big U.S. airlines that are 

charting their courses for growth in the surging 

international air travel market, as global trade 

continues to be driven by the exploding econo- mies of China, India and other parts of Asia. The 

carrier is building its presence in Los Angeles 

with a view to eventually expand from there to 

Asian destinations. 

FAA Issues Anti-Missile Contract-Bloomberg 

News reports the FAA has issued a contract for 

Northrop Grumman to supply four agency aircraft 

with anti-missile systems. The test aircraft will 

be provided with the same infrared anti-missile 

systems supplied to U.S. Air Force C-17 transports. The systems, designed to send shoulderlaunched missiles off-course, will go on the FAA 

planes used to certify navigation beacons, radar 

and lighting at commercial airports and military 

installations. The planes are being equipped at 

the request of the Air Force, which uses the aircraft overseas in areas such as Baghdad. FedEx 

will also fly nine modified MD-10 cargo planes 

with the system to test its suitability for commercial aviation under a separate Department of 

Homeland Security contract.

System Actuals

Oct 1 - Oct 12

Performance Limit

Oct 1 - Oct 12 Change PerformanceOct 1 - Oct 12

Actuals

Oct 12

Runway 

Incursions* 0 1 (1) 0

Operational

Errors* 19 21 (2) 1

*Category A & B

OEP 35 

Airports

Actuals

Oct 1 - Oct 12

Minimum 

Performance Goal Change PerformanceOct 1 - Oct 12

Actuals

Oct 12

Performance 

Oct 12

Airport Average 

Daily Capacity 102116 101562 554 100386

System Airpot

Efficiency Rate 95.44% 95.25% 0.19 94.18%

Adjusted 

Operational 

Availability

N/A 99.70% N/A — N/A —

OEP 35 Airports Actuals

Oct 1 - Oct 12

Actuals

Oct 12

On Time Gate Arrivals 75.94% 63.96%

FAA Today | Published Monday - Friday by 11 a.m. EST

 by ATO Communications For more information visit ATO Online: www.ato.faa.gov i

Read the full story:

employees.faa.gov/news/media_stories/daily_media

Hear what your ATO VPs are saying | 1-800-FAA-NEWS

Updates every Monday.

Expect strong, gusty winds across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, including Chicago and 

Detroit. Depending on the actual impact of the wind, initiatives are possible for Detroit and 

Chicago O`Hare.

Anybody paraskavedekatriaphobic? If so, you’ve obviously decided to put your irrational fear of 

Friday the 13th aside for the moment by reading this intellectual tome! It really does take your 

mind off things like that, doesn’t it? Far more worrisome in our business are bouts of lackofridayslotsofphobia. We digress. Delays yesterday were a direct result of moving over 57,000 airplanes 

through our system, with a smattering of snow, thunderstorms and wind added for effect. Our 

delay count was in the neighborhood of 2,435, cancellations clocked in at 350+, and five ground 

delay programs were used to help out. 

Low ceilings and snow at ORD required a GDP with a 66-96 rate to handle their relatively low 

count (hard fought, no doubt) of 2,617. The result, 467 delays. Winds up to 35 kts and RVR-reducing snow squalls were just a part of ORD’s challenges. The wind is picking up as we write, so 

similar problems (minus the snow) may be seen there again today. ATL and its customers were 

pleased with the performance in Dixie. Despite 356 delays, charged mostly to construction and 

lack of trip departures, 2,939 airplanes plied the area’s friendly southern skies. IAH used a GDP 

at a 58 rate to mitigate the impact of thunderstorms, but still weaved 1,632 operations in and out 

of Texas. EWR’s flow-smoothing GDP for ceilings and wind generated 262 delays using a 36-44 

rate. PHL had a very busy day with 1,562 operations, despite ceilings (well, they ain’t high!), and 

delayed 221 during the 36-52 rate program. LGA rated a GDP for ceilings and wind that limited 

airplanes to 34-38 an hour, tallying 215 delays out of a credible 1,225 operations. N90 had 6,318 

operations and delayed 108 while providing that good ol’ customer-pleasing service to and around 

the Apple! JFK counted 85 reportables out of 1,290 operations for volume. CLT volume accounted for 79 delays, yet managed to move 1,567 airplanes. HOU battled the Texas thunderstorms 

through 654 operations and 32 delays recorded. 

And now, some good news on thunderstorm season. It’s almost over! Which leads us to the ensuing season’s hazards. BUF, to be exact, just received up to two feet of global warming and the 

airport wasn’t expected to re-open until around noon today. This is strange early-winter weather 

even for Buffalo, where sidewalks usually disappear until July!

Several weeks ago, ZAB area pilots began to hear a radio station interfering with a departure 

frequency. Two days ago, MIT were initiated for this recurring problem and since then 22 delays 

have resulted. The source was identified as a commercial radio station with a hole in their antenna 

transmission line. Rather than trample First Amendment rights or otherwise constrain the station, 

we have shut down ZAB. Oh, come on! The station is off the air until the cable is replaced.

Happy Friday........the 13th!

Operational Update

System Outlook

Operation Metrics Source: Aviation System Performance Metrics

– Prepared by the ATO Internal Communications Staff

Federal Aviation FAA Today Administration Friday 10/13/06