Aggressive Expansion

I have worked around Dulles Airport for several years now and being an aviation nut and a person prone to staring at the planes as they approach the airport (or take off -- depending on the prevailing winds) I was well aware of the fact that the airport was finally getting around to completing construction on their third runway (as pictured in yellow in the picture to the left). The expansion is just one of three new runways being opened this week at airports around the country. New runways are also opening at two other high-traffic airports including Chicago's O'Hare and at Seattle. Pundits within the government are hailing this as signs that airports continue to do well despite the downturn in the economy (some still hesitate to say recession despite the fact that that's exactly what it is) while others claim that it will ease the travel concerns many Americans have. I would simply respond with a very deadpan, "ha ha."

As I stated, the addition of runways to these major airports is a welcome addition and though I'm not expert on aviation I think I know enough to say that the problem isn't so much the facilities these days as the airports themselves. People automatically think of additional runways meaning more takeoffs and landings possible without the usual delays of planes lining up waiting to leave or arrive and while that's true, they don't often think about the other needs that this brings up. Great! So you have three runways that will be operating in parallel to one another. So when it snows that means you'll have another couple of miles to clear off before you can get planes to takeoff and land. You'll have more planes coming in from far flung destinations and have them roll up to the terminal only to discover that ... shock and awe!... you have too few gates and ground personnel to deal with them.

Isn't that the problem that has been there before? When I go through Dulles or any airport for that matter I have always seen that the personnel on the ground have a greater need for expansion than other services. What do I mean? Well think about it, when checking into a flight, have you seen how few ground personnel there are at times? And what about at security. You tell me the last time you've been to an airport and have sailed through security (and I don't count when boarding a red-eye or dawn flight). I have been through airports where at the height of traveller rush-hour there will be four lines operating despite the fact that they have fourteen other security lanes sitting empty and off. And what about baggage? Sometimes the wait for baggage can take longer than the actual flight. I have come back from travel only to wait longer for my bags to come out of the cargo holds than I did for the entire trip.

The reason isn't because the ground personnel are lazy or dallying around the entire time but because there are too few of them and far too many flights for them to deal with as quick as we'd like. Not only do these crews take bags to the baggage claim but who do you think takes the bags to your flight once you check them in? The same guys! So it doesn't really matter that you have three new runways, it just means that rather than sitting on the ground or circling the airport in the skies you'll be waiting on the ground. Airport infrastructure needs expansion just as much as their runways and until the FAA and other airport authorities realize that as well they will only staunch the flow of travel delays, not stop it. Same can be said of the move by President Bush to open military travel lanes to flights. Great! You can get to your destination faster and wait longer for your bags to arrive. Thanks but no thanks!