Air travel is a mess — here’s how it can be improved

Flight delays and cancellations have been rampant this week. Though airlines get most of the criticism when flights are disrupted, the CEO of United Airlines has blamed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for being too quick to cancel flights that they have been able to manage in the past. FAA staffing shortages are likely at the root of such decisions.

Implementing safe and efficient air travel is a partnership between airlines and the FAA. Indeed, if the airlines are the face of air travel, then the FAA is its blood and bones.

So instead of attacking the airlines every time something goes awry during a flight, let’s look at the FAA and see what they can do to help position the airlines to deliver the best possible travel experience for all.

First and foremost, the FAA is concerned with safety and efficiency; that is what defines their mission statement. Yet there are many options available to keep the air system safe and efficient while giving airlines sufficient room to deliver their service.

Here are three possible changes that can improve air travel and make it more likely that your next flight will be on time.

Crew rest requirements

The FAA places strict limitations on how much time pilots can spend in the cockpit and how much rest is needed over any 24-hour period, as well as hour limitations over any seven consecutive days (34 hours), over any calendar month (120 hours), and over any calendar year (1,200 hours). The daily rest constraint makes perfect sense since a tired pilot may be more prone to human error. The seven-day rolling window is also reasonable. However, moving the monthly constraint to a rolling 30-day window would be more flexible for airlines. 

What the current monthly constraint does is bunch together a large number of pilots all timing out at the same time at the end of a month — the situation airlines are in right now. By smoothing out these time periods, the number of pilots who may time out can be spread across an entire month. The total number of hours flown over a full year will be the same. The only change is how such hours are distributed.  

Responsibility

When flights are impacted by mechanical problems and staffing issues, airlines are held responsible for any delays and cancellations. When weather rolls into an airport and prevents flights from taking off or landing, the only solution is to wait them out. Yet when air traffic control causes delays or cancellations, the FAA is not sufficiently visible to be held accountable, even when the airlines place the blame on them.

If the airlines must provide compensation for flight delays within their control, then so should the FAA when delays and cancellation are due to their actions. Airlines can deliver such compensation, and then bill the FAA. In this way, all stakeholders are treated comparably and assume a shared responsibility, with airlines covering mechanical and staffing issues, passengers assuming the burden due to weather, and the FAA covering air traffic control delays.  

AI in Air Traffic Control

The air system has numerous moving parts, which must all function in harmony. For example, the Transportation Security Administration oversees security, with an eye on providing policies and procedures that permit air travel to function efficiently and effectively.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) is necessary to ensure safety in the air system. And the evidence suggests that they have delivered on their promise. Yet many of the systems that they use are labor intensive, requiring a number of repetitive processes.

Can artificial intelligence (AI) be injected into ATC operations to ease the burden on air traffic controllers?

Air traffic controllers typically handle over 40 thousand flights per day. Their task becomes even more challenging during weather events when visibility may be limited and aircraft spacing must be extended. AI systems are adept at learning patterns to inform decision-making. This positions AI systems to contribute to air traffic controller tasks. As such, this could reduce the number of air traffic controllers needed at airports without compromising safety. Given that air traffic controllers oversee all aspects of airplane movement at airports, including ground movement, many such tasks are poised to be supported by AI systems.

Along these lines, NextGen is the future for air travel, with many enhancements already implemented. Yet more research is needed to exploit AI and how it can be integrated into ATC operations. Such innovations are the surest path forward to improve air travel for all stakeholders.

Airlines deliver the “last mile” for air travel. There are of course numerous other steps that can enhance or hinder flight operations. The FAA’s focus on safety is undoubtably correct. Yet they can maintain such safety while positioning airlines to deliver their services in a manner that best serves travelers.

Much like how a golfer can score low by keeping their ball in the fairways and out of the rough, the same can be said about air travel. If the FAA keeps their operations “in the fairway,” it gives airlines the best chance for success. Some simple and important changes can make that happen.          

Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a founder professor in computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A data scientist, he applies his expertise in data-driven risk-based decision-making to evaluate and inform public policy and public health.