[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

on the part of the airlines and what, to date, has been a spineless US Dept. of Transportation ("DOT"). The New York City area is a prime example. So far, the DOT has been unable to thin-out the traffic in New York's three main airports by auctioning-off landing/take-off slots. The result is these airports are overcrowded and anything less than perfect weather leads to major delays. The public would probably be willing to use secondary airports near New York (Islip, Newburgh, Allentown) if fares to the main airports were higher. However since the DOT is, essentially, allowing the entire "world" to operate from the three main airports there is little incentive to use the secondaries.

The airlines' "response" to this mess is that the air traffic control system should be upgraded. And during the 5 to 10 years it will take to complete an upgrade the dysfunctional status quo should continue!