Monday, June 2, 2008

Delayed Flights Waste More Than Just Passenger Time

No one likes a delayed flight. Now we find out that these flights are costing us more than just time. According to a recent report from the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), delayed flights in 2007 consumed about 740 million additional gallons of jet fuel totaling $1.6 billion extra in fuel bills and emitted 7.07 million metric tons of CO2.

This was the quote from U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the JEC, on the problem:

“It has been apparent for far too long that to millions of Americans who fly, our domestic air travel system is broken and today’s Joint Economic Committee report puts a dollar figure on this mess. In 2007 alone passengers, airlines, and our economy felt a $41 billion punch in the gut from flight delays and the problem is only going to get worse.”

You can find the press release here.

No comments: