Rep. Mitchell to Address Airport Delays, Mishandled Baggage

Rep. Harry Mitchell said he looked forward to finding out more information about a troubling decrease in airline on-time performance as well a reported increase in mishandled luggage at today’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing where Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, an Arizona native, is scheduled to testify.

According to today’s Washington Post, “Airlines’ on-time performance dropped for the fifth year in a row in 2006, with one in four flights arriving late or not at all, according to data released yesterday by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.”

“The airlines also mishandled a massive amount of luggage – 4 million bags, or 6.7 for every 1000 passengers, the industry’s worst rate since 1990.”

“I look forward to hearing from Secretary Peters about how Congress can help her bring airline passengers better on-time performance and better baggage handling,” said Mitchell, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation. “If there is one person who knows Arizona’s transportation needs it is Secretary Peters, and I look forward to working with her on this and many other issues.”

Posted Thursday February 8, 2007 by