NEW YORK, NY December 03, 2007 —A new study finds that flight delays cost $200 million dollars a year in lost productivity. City Comptroller Bill Thompson says it's getting costly to spend time in airports and on the tarmac. Thompson says the delays affect the economy, including tourism and business.

He says the delays at the 3 major airports in the metro area reduce the area's competitiveness around the country and around the world. Thompson wants the FAA to update the city's air traffic control system. He says New York should be among the regions receiving new equipment and he supports charging airlines more to fly at peak hours.

Nearly half of all flights coming into Kennedy, Newark and LaGuardia arrived late this year and the airports were the worst in the nation in terms of on-time records.