A few weeks ago, I was talking about how many of the airlines were hoping to reduce flights in order to cut back on delays. Well, now the government has joined the cause. However, the FAA is focused specifically on flights coming in and out of JFK and Newark (EWR), as both JFK and Newark have seen more than their share of delays.

Right now, the FAA is simply requesting flight schedules for next spring and summer. But what does it mean for travelers if flight limitations are put in place? We can expect to see similar results to those that we’ll see if the airlines limit flights on their own. Hopefully, there will be a decrease in delays, but it will most likely come with a raise in airfare. Not to sound like a high school economics teacher, but it really is basic supply and demand. Fewer flights means fewer seats, and fewer seats usually means higher costs. It goes back to the question I like to ask, Is price the only thing? Should we be willing to pay more if it means less hassle and more on-time departures/arrivals?

As I said, the FAA has just requested flight schedules, so we don’t know for sure what will happen. However, it’s clear that the delays out of New York have caught the government agency’s attention.