Editor’s note: InsiderAdvantage occasionally publishes columns on public policy issues from Georgia legislators.
In our state, airports, airlines, and aircraft play an outsized role in our economy and the lives of our residents. With numerous airports large and small as well as one of the busiest airports in the world, hosting thousands of flights per day, tens of thousands of jobs and livelihoods are reliant on a consistent and constant flow of airplanes through Georgia on a daily basis. This is apart from the countless passengers who transit through the terminals or come here to visit. Taken together, this intricate system of people and machines produces an amazingly widespread economic impact from the baggage handlers to the bartender at a restaurant, resulting in untold billions for Georgia which could not be easily replaced. However, all of this is under threat, especially as another hectic time of travel is imminent, due to problems out of our hands to the south in Florida.
State Sen. Lee Anderson
With many of us dreaming of more time with our families over the holidays, issues which have not been settled since they first reared their head earlier this year in Florida could set off a chain of delays and cancellations once again when millions are trying to make it home. Our southern neighbor struggled this summer with a number of stubborn factors that left travelers across the country confounded and upset.
As travel demand grew after the pandemic, many Americans flocked to Florida from Memorial Day to Labor Day but only got the chance to experience an unprecedented tie-up in the skies and a crawl to their final destination, if they were even that lucky. And the culprits were often the other forces competing for their own space in the clouds.
COVID-19 spawned numerous secondary trends, but one of the most significant for passengers was the use of private aircraft. Florida alone saw an increase of approximately 100,000 flights in a single year, forcing a massive reallocation of routes departing and arriving in the state. This frequently forced other users, including airlines who are carrying the vast majority of air travelers, to tussle with their newfound competition.
At a quick glance, this problem would seem to be isolated to Florida, however this could not be further from the truth. For instance, when a single flight scheduled to take off at 7:30 am from Atlanta to Miami is pushed back an hour, it does not only impact the dozens flying on the aircraft, but the dozens flying on the return flight to Atlanta, and the families on the following flight to Los Angeles. With one aircraft responsible for multiple flights per day seeing hundreds of total daily travelers, small shifts in schedule can throw well laid plans into chaos. What occurred this summer far exceeds this with too many passengers spending countless hours waiting and hoping for a takeoff.
All this goes without mentioning the additional weighty needs of the space industry who frequently launch missions from the eastern coast, causing even more problems and flight route restrictions.
To date, none of these problems have been permanently fixed. With a busy holiday season anticipated, we need to head off problems from across the border before they end up on our doorstep once again. Public officials, including the Federal Aviation Administration, need the resources at hand to ensure the previous turmoil does not occur again.
Anderson represents District 24 in the Georgia Senate including northeast Georgia and Elberton.
