Big four main losers in LaGuardia slots lottery

The four major US carriers operating into LaGuardia airport have suffered most from the US Federal Aviation Administration slot lottery, which is designed to relieve congestion at the busy New York airport.

Delta Connection, US Airways Express, Continental Express and American Eagle - who all applied for more than 20 slots - have all had their operations pegged back. Those airlines that sought less than 20 slots were awarded what they applied for (see table).

The programme begins on 31 January and will remain in place until mid-September 2001, when an alternative way of balancing demand with the airport's limits will be implemented.

The slot lottery scheme was devised after airport officials set a moratorium at LaGuardia on new flights during peak hours, challenging federal legislation known as AIR 21 that opened access to regional jets and initial service by new long-haul airline entrants.

The airport and the FAA agreed that over 200 AIR 21 peak-hour slot exemptions would be cancelled and temporarily replaced by 159 slot exemption operations per day allocated by a lottery - a move opposed by most affected airlines.

The lottery, conducted on 4 December, was limited to nine new airline entrants: Air Tran, American Trans Air, Legend Airlines, Midway Airlines, Midwest Express, Spirit Airlines, Shuttle America, Southeast Airlines and Vanguard Airlines, plus the regional operators of the four US majors.

The US aviation agency intends to develop "a demand management and market-based solution" to control delay at LaGuardia. One approach calls for charging airlines higher prices to use the airport during peak hours. Affected destination airports urge that the slots be used only for underserved communities.

The FAA said it had to act or "the situation would only worsen". It seeks a means to achieve "an acceptable balance" between congestion and new operations to underserved communities."

Source: Flight International