AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IS 'PRETTY DIRE' SAYS BOSS.Byline: STEPHEN MOYES CRIPPLING flight delays have plunged passengers into "truly awful" chaos, an air traffic control boss has admitted. In a leaked memo, National Air Traffic Services chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. Colin Chisholm Colin Chisholm (born February 25, 1963, in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted in the third round, 60th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. said that in just one week last month there were more than 3,500 hours of flight delays. The trouble centres on the controversial new pounds 623million control centre at Swanwick, Hants. Mr Chisholm described the week ending July 14 as "a really, truly awful week - 217,000 minutes of delay or so at Swanwick. That's a fairly dire position, I have to say, for our customers." Labour MP Martin Salter Martin John Salter (born 19 April 1954 in Hampton, in west London) is a United Kingdom politician. He is Labour Member of Parliament for the Reading West parliamentary constituency. said: "Prior to ill-advised part- privatisation, Britain had the best, safest and most efficient air traffic control service in the world." It emerged yesterday that an RAF jet from Norfolk was seconds away from colliding with a plane with 80 passengers heading for Newcastle on July 2. -A TOTAL of 716 airline passengers were killed in accidents worldwide in the first half of the year - the highest toll for eight years and far in excess of the 114 in the first six months of 2001. CAPTION(S): RAP: The Swanwick HQ |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion