But it's not just airlines that complain. Some air traffic controllers argue that more planes could indeed get through if they were free to allow planes to land and take off based on what they see and hear. While each airline would like to be able to give reasons why their planes should be able to leave on time, controllers who are working the sector have a much better idea of what the pilots are asking for and what they want to do to get around a weather situation, NewsChannel5 reports. A government audit backs that up. It found that controllers at the central command center are using different weather radar information than controllers at regional facilities like Cleveland's.
Disputes erupt between the national command center and field facilities over rerouting flights.
The airlines, the government and the controllers all realize that collaborative decision making is a short-term solution. More and more passengers like the McNeals are paying the price. You see people all under the same circumstances, stranded for no good reason. First Copyright 2001 by NewsNet5 . All rights reserved.