The release of the US DOT’s July On-Time performance dataset allows us to update our operational models. This update reveals a fascinating evolution in our Airport Performance Index, highlighting major operational turnarounds and persistent bottlenecks across the US network. The…
Airports don’t build buffers—airlines do. When we look at US airline schedule padding, we aren’t looking at a metric designed or controlled by airport operators. Instead, we are looking at an airline’s reaction to real-world friction. Schedule padding is essentially a…
Yesterday, your correspondent had the unpleasant experience of changing planes at Chicago O’Hare. What made this especially unpleasant was that the airport (like all airports) is a perpetual construction site. Consequently, traffic flow is even more constrained, and congestion rises. …
There are times when politics goes beyond the usual annoyance levels. This is one of those times. Generally, US International Traffic Ignores Political Noise. What’s Actually Happening On April 6, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the Trump administration is considering…
Public policy is a blunt instrument. What we are seeing across the United States is yet another example of policy that deserves scrutiny. Airport security in the U.S. is not failing operationally—it is exposed structurally to political risk unrelated to…
The Problem Paris Charles de Gaulle has a confusing terminal numbering system that includes Terminal 1, Terminal 3, and nine separate Terminal 2 designations (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, plus halls 2EK, 2EL, and 2EM). Anyone who has…