The three major airports in the New York City metro region — LaGuardia, Newark, and JFK — handle about a third of all air traffic in the nation. But because of growth in air travel, they don’t handle it particularly well. Over a quarter of incoming flights to those airports were delayed or cancelled last year, and the ripple effects burden the nation’s entire air system. As the region’s economy grows and transitions towards industries like business services, media, and banking, pressure on policymakers to address air congestion will rise in turn.

What’s the best way to address this issue? Some answers will arrive on January 27 from 8:30 am to 2 pm at JP Morgan Chase, One Chase Manhattan Plaza (60th Floor) in NYC, when the Better Airports Alliance hosts a major conference, “Upgrading to World Class.” The Alliance is a coalition of business, civic, labor, and environmental groups that is coordinated by the Regional Plan Association. Speakers will include Port Authority executive director Chris Ward and deputy executive director Bill Baroni, Kathy Wylde of the Partnership of New York and Barbara Kauffman of the Newark Regional Business Partnership, NYC Deputy Mayor Robert Steel, and others.

RPA’s Jeff Zupan, a TSTC board member, will roll out recommendations on how best to increase capacity and manage demand for air travel. Among the research to be discussed at the conference will be recommendations on how to improve ground transportation to and from airports; the role of intercity rail; the potential for outlying airports; and the implications of NextGen, the federal government’s planned revamp of the air traffic control system.