The talk show maestro hosted a kick-ass program last night with top members of the travel industry about what the airlines are doing to combat fuel prices.A report hit the newsstands yesterday claiming that US Airways pilots were pressured to cut fuel on-board planes. This sent media moguls into a frenzy. Is it safe to fly? Will passengers be at risk? I received a few phone calls last night so I thought I'd take a moment and set the record straight, as I believe it to be.
- Airplanes are not going to fall out of the sky when the tank is on "E." IF airlines start using less fuel aboard planes, you can rest assured there will still be enough fuel to fly you to your destination. What it does mean is that the air traffic controllers will be under more pressure to get airplanes landed and get them off the runways, in an effort to help conserve fuel.
- Pilots are not going to fly a plane that doesn't have enough fuel on board to get them to their destination. As my Dad says, "The pilot cares about his own life. You can rest assured you're safe on his plane."
2 comments:
What about the increased risk of collision between airplanes on the runway, at take off, and at landing? If air traffic controllers are going to have more pressure to get planes out of the sky and off the runway to save fuel, does that mean planes will land closer in time and that more planes will be on the runway at the same time? I have a lot of faith in the pilots but it sounds like the greatest burden will fall to the air traffic controllers, who have an enormously stressful job already. Will they add more controllers to each tower to reduce the stress and margin of error? I'm curious as to whether Larry King's guests addressed this point.
Your concern is exactly what Larry said he intends to address in upcoming shows, so let's watch and see. I agree completely -- my concern is with the air traffic controllers. I trust the pilots, but the stress the controllers are under is intense. Let's hope Larry gets to the bottom of this. I can't emphasize enough, though...
The airlines are NOT going to put passengers in danger.
Post a Comment