Correspondence

In response to a request from Senator Ron Wyden for additional information on flight delays and cancellations following congressional hearings on the subject, the IG provided an update on May 11, 2001. In his letter to Senator Wyden, the IG made the following key points: (1) vital statistics indicate the growing severity of delays and cancellations; (2) future outlook for delays and cancellations contingent on multiple factors; (3) short-term and long-term solutions are needed, including tracking airlines' voluntary actions to help reduce congestion and delays; and disclosing flight delay and cancellation performance.