Federal officials announced a plan Wednesday to ease congestion at New York area airports by allowing less flights.

Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced a plan to help with delays in metropolitan airports by putting a cap on peak hour flights. In March, a limit of between 82 and 83 flights will be enforced at John F. Kennedy Airport. The airport currently sees about 100 flights per hour.

The Department of Transportation says the cap is a short-term fix. It is currently working on other improvements including switching from radar to satellite control systems.

Restrictions are already being enforced at LaGuardia and will be implemented at Newark Liberty International Airport. Critics of the plan say passengers will end up footing the bill for the money lost due to the flight decrease.

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