Wasted fuel? In the United States?

The only surprise from today's congressional report estimating that flight delays will cost the troubled U.S. airline industry more than $2 billion in wasted fuel this year is that Congress investigated it in the first place. Talk about stating the obvious! The study, by the Joint Economic Committee, said the industry wasted 740 million gallons of fuel last year, a $1.6 billion loss, when fuel cost $2.15 a gallon. This year, with jet fuel approaching $3 a gallon, the loss will probably exceed $2 billion, the report said. But why is it necessary for Congress to investigate this? Aren't the airlines aware, and concerned, about it? Isn't it in their interest to fix the problem? Everyone who has flown on a U.S. airline knows about sometimes unbelievable flight delays -- whether they're at the terminal waiting for a plane or on the tarmac waiting to take off. And everyone knows that idling a giant airplane for hours wastes fuel. So, what's so hard? The report said more than a quarter of U.S. flights were delayed last year, according to the Reuters international news agency. Maybe if the airlines spent more time planning their takeoffs and landings and less time cutting customer services, they could expect more empathy from the flying public.