Plan for New York airports ready to take off

In case you didn't hear about it yesterday, the Bush administration finalized plans to auction off slots and cap the number of flights at the three major New York City area airports. The Port Authority, airline industry and key members of Congress oppose the plan, saying it won't solve the problems, and that it'll hurt already-hurting airlines.

I have no idea if the plan will work. But the fact is that our three crappy, overcrowded airports are responsible for two-thirds of all the flight delays in the country. Even if you're flying nowhere near New York, chances are good that your flight started its day here, or flew through here. They pack too many flights in here, and when the inevitable weather issues throw a wrench in the gears, the effects ripple all the way through the system.

As usual, the opponents of this plan complained loudly but offered no alternatives. If you don't have a better plan, then sit down and shut up. Maybe this plan won't work, maybe we travelers will pay the price when the airlines pass on the auction costs to us through ticket prices and surcharges. But at least someone's trying something.