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CNN Live At Daybreak

Eye on the Sky: Air Travel Delays

Aired October 28, 2003 - 06:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to take a moment now to check our 'Eye on the Sky.' Air Traffic Expert Rally Caparas from Travelocity Business is on the phone.
And, Rally, we've been talking about this again today, all of the delays that are expected from the wildfires. But you know it's kind of like the snowstorms, isn't it, on the East Coast, people are used to it out there?

RALLY CAPARAS, AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALIST, TRAVELOCITY.COM: Well, Heidi, fortunately the snow when it burns -- I'm sorry, when the snow melts away, everything is gone. The fire is still going and the smoke is still going. The main problem and the reason why we had major delays out west is not because of the snow -- I'm sorry, the smoke or the fire, it's because the Southern California TRACON was closed down and they moved the operations. And they had to limit the amount of operations into and out of the region.

The Southern California TRACON is scheduled to reopen today at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, that's 8:00 Eastern, and that means that the traffic density will be allowed to build back to its normal levels. And as a result of the reopening, Los Angeles, San Diego and all of those smaller L.A. basin airports will see close to normal traffic times.

You can expect, if you're headed to Los Angeles and San Diego today, folks, about a 30 to 45-minute delay. There is some smoke limiting the visibility throughout the region, about three miles of visibility. But you will see a near normal air traffic flow and near normal air traffic schedules throughout the day as long as the TRACON remains open as the officials in the region have determined that the TRACON is no longer under a threat of the fire.

So back to normal as far as air traffic flow and schedules are concerned in Southern California. I know it's welcome news after two days of hundreds of cancellations and massive delays.

Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Boy, you got that right. All right, Rally Caparas, thanks so very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com








Aired October 28, 2003 - 06:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to take a moment now to check our 'Eye on the Sky.' Air Traffic Expert Rally Caparas from Travelocity Business is on the phone.
And, Rally, we've been talking about this again today, all of the delays that are expected from the wildfires. But you know it's kind of like the snowstorms, isn't it, on the East Coast, people are used to it out there?

RALLY CAPARAS, AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALIST, TRAVELOCITY.COM: Well, Heidi, fortunately the snow when it burns -- I'm sorry, when the snow melts away, everything is gone. The fire is still going and the smoke is still going. The main problem and the reason why we had major delays out west is not because of the snow -- I'm sorry, the smoke or the fire, it's because the Southern California TRACON was closed down and they moved the operations. And they had to limit the amount of operations into and out of the region.

The Southern California TRACON is scheduled to reopen today at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, that's 8:00 Eastern, and that means that the traffic density will be allowed to build back to its normal levels. And as a result of the reopening, Los Angeles, San Diego and all of those smaller L.A. basin airports will see close to normal traffic times.

You can expect, if you're headed to Los Angeles and San Diego today, folks, about a 30 to 45-minute delay. There is some smoke limiting the visibility throughout the region, about three miles of visibility. But you will see a near normal air traffic flow and near normal air traffic schedules throughout the day as long as the TRACON remains open as the officials in the region have determined that the TRACON is no longer under a threat of the fire.

So back to normal as far as air traffic flow and schedules are concerned in Southern California. I know it's welcome news after two days of hundreds of cancellations and massive delays.

Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Boy, you got that right. All right, Rally Caparas, thanks so very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com