Yes, it’s Friday, and we’ve been up and at ’em early today, as we put the finishing touches to this week’s issue of PlaneBusiness Banter. Subscribers  — I’ll be back here to let you know when this week’s issue is posted.

in the meantime, for those of you who have already finished your holiday shopping, written your Christmas cards, and prepared your menu for Christmas eve, how ’bout some light reading this morning as you have your third cup of coffee?

Great.

Here’s just the thing to go along with that coffee. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, along with airline industry executives and various local transportation officials, unveiled 100 recommendations yesterday in a 32 page report. The Flight Delay Task Force says in the report, among other things, that if 27 of its initiatives were implemented quickly, delays at the New York area airports, which are climbing to new records, could be reduced by next summer. The entire list of suggestions, if put into practice, would create capacity for an additional 3.5 million passengers at Kennedy International Airport without additional delays.

Clearly the major difference between this report and its recommendations — and the proposals currently coming out of Washington center around the issue of reducing the number of flights into the three area airports.

According to the Task Force report, this is not necessary.

Click here to download a .pdf copy of the report.