Should Airports Be Fined for Poor Performance?

It certainly hasn't been a great couple of weeks weather-wise for travelers. Travelers in the Northeast are still reeling from the recent blizzard, and it will likely take days for all of the disrupted travelers to get back home. And before that, major European airports like Heathrow and Paris had their own issues with snow.

In the aftermath of the mess in Europe, an idea has popped up - does it make sense to fine airports for dropping the ball in winter? The United Kingdom's transport minister believes that regulators should be able to fine airport operators (BAA in Heathrow's case) in cases of poor performance.

This idea is a very interesting one for sure. On one hand, no one controls the weather. But airport operators are responsible for crafting an effective response to weather events like snow.

For many Americans who live in areas like the Northeast - the Heathrow situation seems almost laughable. Four inches of snow would have pretty limited effects in cities like Boston, New York, or Chicago. Of course, the New York airports struggled yesterday and today, but that was a blizzard!

But, of course, a rough winter is expected in Chicago every year. In London it's a different story. So preparations can be difficult. Buying more snow equipment can be a good investment in rough winters or a waste of money in mild winters.

Needless to say, however, something has to be done - the way passengers in London and Paris were treated is simply unacceptable. BAA says they are further investigating the matter - let's hope said investigation is thorough and has actual, concrete suggestions on how to move forward.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for an interesting read - Roger Cohen had an interesting piece in the New York Times about all this.