A new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general found that the FAA “did not have a clear policy on how to use slots at Newark.”
The how busy is newark airport right now is a question that has been asked for a while. The U.S. Is handing out take-off and landing slots at Newark, which isn’t even slot controlled.
The United States is allocating takeoff and landing slots at Newark International Airport, which is not even slot controlled.
on September 16, 2021 by Gary Leff
The slots at Newark Airport are no longer regulated. New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, and Washington’s National airports are the only ones in the United States where an airline must have takeoff and landing slots to operate. Of course, airlines must still secure gates and ticket counter space.
Mayor LaGuardia of New York once refused to disembark from an aircraft at Newark because his ticket said “New York.” That prank was part of garnering support for a New York airport, but it also highlighted the fact that Newark isn’t New York to many New Yorkers, despite what the estimated time to the airport may indicate on the roof of a taxi cab.
With regard to schedule convenience, Newark currently ranks among Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport. It’s no longer tied to a certain slot. Despite this, the FAA will award 16 Newark slots to a low-cost airline. What do you mean?
- To avoid too much concentration, the federal government ordered United and Continental to give up 36 slots at Newark when they combined.
- The slots were purchased by Southwest Airlines, but they chose to depart the airport before the epidemic began.
- The slots were to be phased out by the FAA. Spirit Airlines protested, requesting 16 of the available seats. The slots should not be retired, according to a US appeals court.
Spirit Airlines and others can fly out of Newark without the slots, but Spirit wants them in case the airport is again limited, since incumbent slot holders would get precedence.
JetBlue has expanded its presence at Newark significantly throughout the epidemic, while being limited in its expansion at JFK and LaGuardia due to slots it receives from American Airlines.
United claims that, despite operating 65 percent of flights out of Newark, it is JetBlue’s increased (and much more restricted) flying that is creating airport congestion.
United would have benefitted from the cancellation of slots since it would have meant less congestion at Newark (which would have improved operational dependability) and less competition in the future (and therefore higher fares).
Meanwhile, the FAA will extend a waiver on ‘use it or lose it’ rules for slots that was in place during the pandemic, allowing airlines to keep a large subsidy – a government-owned property that allows them to fly in and out of the most desirable airports to the exclusion of competitors without actually using the slots – without actually using the slots.
When it comes to slot distribution, the FAA generally follows IATA rules. They’ve accepted the suggestions of the airline global trade organization, which are intended to help current carriers. Instead, slots should be auctioned off for a certain period of time, which is better for the taxpayer (who often owns the airports and provides air traffic control) and for competitiveness.
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